Class of 2009, Impossibilities Accomplished by our Class

While at my graduating ceremony on Monday, I thought back to my last Sunday Paper Club post and felt I was a little too harsh. I didn't know why I had this feeling, we are a very dark class, but while looking up at an airplane which happened to be flying many feet above us, I knew I needed to revisit the character of my class.

 
Photo by yui.kubo

A graduation is a reflection of the class; everything that the class as a whole holds dearly is presenting during this ceremony. We had speeches which consisted of the message of honesty and relaxation, but it is this song that was sung at my graduation which makes me believe my class could be the one's who leads humanity to all the goals it wants to achieve.

I think this song really reflects my class. The reason my class is so dark is "we've been looking for a song to sing - search for a melody - searched for someone to lead". That's why I think when we get boots on the moon, you'll see this nation's young repay that investment 100 times over. Right now, we don't really have a mission, this generation or this nation.

But, I also think we are at a fork in the road. One of my teachers said that senioritis was inevitable, yet didn't see that. I saw the same, if not better, work out of my classmates. I believe my and my class mates are more self motivated then any other generation. But, we could also complete the same mission by receiving a purpose from a outside force. I also found it interesting that the line "The future started yesterday and we're already late" was in the song. The vision given by futurists should have been accomplished. We are well into the space age and, yet, it still feels like the post-industrial age.

While looking up this song for this blog post, I also read the comments on this youtube video and I found that this song was chosen for many other high school graduations. So, my character of my class is not the character of my class, but the character of my generation. This is why we will be the generation who will have space habitations, who will solve hunger and every other social problem and who will inspire this world.

We're the generation

We can't afford to wait

The future started yesterday and we're already late

This might not be my best post, I'm sure every generation came out of high school like this. But, it's interesting that we selected this song and this song can be applied so well to space habitation. A question to my experienced readership: what was the song at your graduation? Why do you think your generation did not achieve space habitation? 

The Fire of a Launch

This is a comment for the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee. The question is: What do you find most compelling about NASA’s human space flight activities and why?
Last updated: July 6, 2009
Passion, a mission, a purpose, a focus: this is what NASA's work does has given me and why I believe this nation, more then ever, needs NASA. The last two great periods for the US were wars, the cold war brought us unimagined achievements and WW2 brought unsurpassed industrial production. Those two times in history placed American as a leader in the world. But, war can no longer be our focus, for it threatens, not the lives of a few soldiers or a city or a nation, the all the human life on this planet. Humans are truly experts in war and the thought that war could lead to a day where the sunrise is not viewed by a human eye leads many to not focus on war. War can no longer be a passion because it today it means self destruction.

This is why we need a macro-engineering project. But not just any macro-engineering project. Yes, we can build a better city, a longer bridge, a higher building or a bigger canal, but they all lack something. It is just what we have done before, but bigger and they do not tap into something deep within our instinct. I believe humans are driven to protect and better the world for the next generation. Imagine a day when nothing, absolutely nothing, can wipe out humanity. Imagine a day where every star supports life. THAT, that is a purpose. Thinking of that gives life and energy to a person. Looking up everyday and seeing that there is nearly infinite possibilities and wilderness builds a huge fire in the heart. When I wake up, I first think of this possibility and when I want to stop studying or blogging or working on all I have to do, I look up. The fire will never die in me because of this; this mission has complete control over me. Space flows through my veins.

NASA shows this is possible, it shows that anything one dreams can happen. IT shows not even the huge gravity of Earth can hold back passion; can hold back a dream! Yes, NASA would be the worst, most inefficient corporation in the world, but they are not a corporation. Even human who sees a launch is lit like a candle out of the burning cloud of a shuttle escaping the chains of gravity and that will never, ever go out. This fire, in even one person, is well worth the cost of one shuttle flight, but this fire is not given to just one person. A launch lights the world! Once humanity is given this passion NOTHING will stop us. We will be an unstoppable species.

The beginning of the song used Star Trek: Enterprise intro places this nicely; it explains what goes through the mind of someone touched by a launch...

It's been a long road,
To get from there to here.
It's been a long
time,
but my time is finally here.

And I can feel a change in the
wind right now.
Nothing's in my way.
And they're not gonna hold me down
no more.
No they're not gonna hold me down.

'Cause I've got faith of
the heart.
I'm going where my heart will take me.
I've got faith to
believe.
I can do anything.
I've got strength of the soul.
And no
one's going to bend or break me.
I can reach any star.
I've got
faith,
I've got faith,
Faith of the heart.
~ Rod Steward - Faith of the Heart

I choose this part because we are not there yet. Humanity has put hundreds of years into this. Please, the dream of a day where the second part this this song, the part used in the intro, describes the mind set of those touched by the fire of a launch. That day will be when we leave this solar system. This is what NASA gives to us and justifies it's cost. Passion given to a human is invaluable.

Please, I, on my knees, beg you to not only keep the fire of the launch burning, but to expand it. Please, give what human space flight has awoken in me to everyone. Human space flight was the stepping stone, this allowed me to find the people to help me in my goals. Let NASA burn and pass it's fire across this demotivated nation. The thought of a human bathing in the light from another star will drive me, forever. Human space flight is NASA's passion and what it spreads.
Let humanity burn with passion!
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The image that links to this article on the home page is by jurvetson.

Space Inspired Eighth Grader to Write an Amazing Essay

This news article blew me away, Chris Besser, an Eight Grade, participated in an essay contest with the following prompt: "What if we had an orbiting space habitat for 500 families as the first in building colonies on the moon or Mars? What if you were one of the students in the 'First Space Generation Middle School' onboard this orbital station?" (Pittsburgh Post Gazette) The result of this prompt was an essay that could compete on the high school level. The clarity of thought that this kid has demonstrated in his essay is far beyond his years. The essay shows a high level of research, addressing all the major concerns of a orbital space habitation. This kid defiantly deserved to win the contest and I highly suggest that you read his essay. This is what the sciences do, the inspire kids to work harder and this is only on example of the many children who are inspired by space to achieve greatness.