Saturn
:: welcome to ...all these worlds... :: bloghome | contact ::
[::..about this blog..::]
"...all these worlds..." is a blog by David Hitt. It covers space exploration, decent science fiction, humor (by its very nature), and whatever else I happen to find cool. (Formerly "You Must Fight The Bear")

[::..poll..::]
From which upcoming space probe destination are you most interested in the results?

View the results
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[::..launch countdown..::]

[::..dave online..::]
:: hatbag.net [>]
:: hatbag.net store [>]
:: NASAexplores [>]

[::..me at a glance..::]
:: NASA [>]
:: Apple [>]
:: Ole Miss [>]
:: Southside Baptist [>]
:: Star Wars [>]
:: Libertarian Party [>]
:: X Prize [>]
:: National Space Society [>]

[::..space news..::]
:: NASA Watch [>]
:: Spaceflight Now [>]
:: Space.com [>]
:: Spaceref [>]
:: collectSPACE [>]
:: Space Politics [>]
:: Martian Soil [>]
:: Space Daily [>]
:: Cosmic Log [>]

[::..science@NASA..::]

[::..other blogs..::]
:: Nik's Blog [>]
:: Joe's Blog [>]
:: Joe's Music [>]
:: Jordan's Blog [>]
:: Rebecca's Blog [>]
:: DeeDee's Blog [>]
:: BeaucoupKevin [>]
:: Dave Barry's Blog [>]

[::..reading..::]

Reading

[::..watching..::]

Watching

[::..listening..::]

listening

[::..aerospace events..::]
::Aug. 3::
:: Mercury orbiter "Messenger" launch
::Aug. 3::
:: Expedition 9 EVA
::Aug. 5::
:: Wild Fire Unveiling
::Sept. 8::
:: Genesis solar wind sample return
::Sept. 29::
:: SS1 X Prize Attempt
::Oct. 9::
:: Expedition 10 launch
::Oct. 18::
:: DART orbiter launch
::Oct. 19::
:: Expedition 9 lands
::Dec. 25::
:: Huygens Probe Release
::Dec. 30::
:: Deep Impact launch
::Jan. 14 '05::
:: Huygens descent to Titan
::NET March 6 '05::
:: STS-114 launch
::April '05::
:: ISS Crew Exchange
::NET May '05::
:: STS-121 launch
::August 10 '05::
:: Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

[::..release dates..::]
::Aug. 3::
:: The Black Hole SE DVD
::Aug. 13::
:: Alien Vs. Predator M
::Sept. 7::
:: ST: Generations CE DVD
:: Clerks 10th Anniv. DVD
:: Jersey Girl (1st) DVD
::Sept. 10::
:: Enterprise premiere TV
::Sept. 17::
:: Sky Captain... M
::Sept. 21::
:: Star Wars Trilogy DVD
::Sept. 22::
:: Smallville premiere TV
::Nov. 5::
:: The Incredibles M
::Nov. 9::
:: Gone With The Wind DVD
::Nov. 16::
:: Buck Rogers DVD
::Dec. 7::
:: Mary Poppins DVD
::May 19, 2005::
:: Star Wars: Episode III M

[::..space voyagers..::]
As of today, a total of 434 people have flown into space.
Latest: Mike Melvill

[::..entertainment..::]
:: Hitchhiker's Guide [>]
:: Ain't It Cool News [>]
:: DVDFile.com [>]
:: VideoETA [>]
:: DVDanswers [>]
[::..comic books..::]
:: comiccompany.com [>]
:: NEWSarama [>]
[::..comic strips..::]
:: Arlo & Janis [>]
:: More Arlo & Janis [>]
:: Mr. Lowe [>]
:: Marshall Ramsey [>]
:: Lucky Cow [>]
[::..Mac stuff..::]
:: Cult of Mac [>]
:: MacNN.com [>]
[::..other links..::]
:: Engrish.com [>]
:: carbwire [>]
:: The Onion [>]
:: Jabberwacky [>]
:: Strong Bad e-mail [>]
[::..tutor's kitty kam..::]
Kitty Kam

[::..my profile..::]

Name: David Hitt
About Me: Inspiring the next generation of explorers...
See my complete profile

[::..disclaimer..::]
The opinions expressed on this page are those of the author, and very likely no one else.

[::..archive..::]

:: Monday, December 15, 2003 ::

I Don't Normally Do This, But Go Head On Break 'Em Off A Little Piece Of The Premix
For the past week or two, I've been working on a little column-type thing, which I remain continuously dissappointed with. Any suggestions for punching it up some would be appreciated:



The Last Explorers


There is a romantic appeal to the concept of the “last” of something. No matter how underappreciated something is when in great quantity, we are fascinated when those numbers dwindle. As a great poet once wrote, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got ‘til it’s gone?” And, so, before it is too late, perhaps it is time we appreciate the last American explorers.

America is a nation built on exploration, from the brave souls who crossed the ocean to the New World, to those who crossed a continent to see what was on the other side. But today, the oceans have been mapped, and the continent has been settled. Every inch of this Earth can be readily photographed from above. And so, explorers now must move upward, onward, and outward.

Today, America has a group of just over 100 individuals who have accepted the task of forging into the last, and greatest, frontier—the universe beyond our world. They are the over 100 astronauts who have accepted the risk of traveling into the unforgiving vacuum of space. They join a select group of spacefarers from around the world who have answered the clarion call of the unknown.

Explorer has become a dirty word in our nation today. It appears that we are no longer comfortable with the idea of exploration for exploration’s sake. We have to justify exploration by couching it as one of today’s nobler concepts—such as science, or, better yet, commercialism. Those are things worth pursuing. Failing that, we rely on other watchwords to disguise what we’re truly doing; words like research and discovery.

We have become a complacent nation. America long ago achieved its manifest destiny, stretching from sea to shining sea. We fully explored the area now within our borders, and have now called it a job well done; a complete work. As science brings new wonders into homes, we no longer feel the call to go anywhere. We are comfortable where we are. And, rather than putting effort into creating new ways to extend our reach, we prefer to focus our efforts on becoming even more comfortable there. We have abandoned our former frontiers. Even areas once associated with national pride are now neglected. The flags planted by the Apollo moonwalkers still fly over a terrain as alien today as it was 30 years ago.

Yet some remain who keep the dream of exploration alive. Some would argue that what these men and women are doing today is not exploration. It has been over 3 decades since man last set foot on new soil. Since then, we have traveled no farther. We remain, relatively speaking, in our own backyard. But, to argue that this is not exploration requires overlooking an indisputable fact—the most important part of exploring is pioneering. Before venturing further into hostile territory, one must first master survival there.

And that is definitely what this past year has been about. Exploration cannot and will not succeed if it depends on everything going perfectly. And, in 2003, things most assuredly did not go perfectly. The unthinkable happened, and yet spaceflight endured. The International Space Station requires a minimum crew of three. It requires regular visits from the Space Shuttle. In 2003, those two requirements became luxuries that were no longer available. And, yet, ISS endured. Continuous human presence in space went on, reaching the 3-year mark. While the program was criticized for its resulting limited scope, it, in fact, became an even greater experiment—Can Station survive the unsurvivable? Two crews of two astronauts have lived aboard ISS since the loss of Columbia, spending months in isolation, with no visitors and rare resupplies. In that respect, it became almost a dress rehearsal for moving outward from Earth. But, more importantly, it gave insight into the most vital part of interplanetary travel—preparing for the unexpected, planning for the unplannable. Travelers to other worlds will not have the luxury of assuming nothing will go wrong.

The handful of men who have participated in this grand experiment are truly heroes. The crews still on the ground, waiting for their chance to return the Shuttle to return to flight are heroes. How can we adequately appreciate the bravery of those willing to go where seven others just fell? And, certainly, the men and women who gave their lives this year aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia were heroes. They were the greatest class of hero—those who make the ultimate sacrifice for what they believe in. For what they gave, we owe them a debt. And, the only way to repay that debt is to honor their legacy. They gave their life for the cause of exploration. And so, we must explore.

"America's challenge of today has forged man's destiny of tomorrow." - Commander Eugene Cernan, Apollo 17 Mission, 11 December 1972




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