"p.cockburn" wrote in message
...
I was only a year old at the time of the first moon landing and find it
amazing when I think of the progress made since then. Unfortunately there
have been disasters - but such is progress. I don't think I could be
dedicated enough to risk my life for progress but admire the astronauts
who
can go into the unknown.

See, that's the issue... Have we really made progress? On the one hand we
have a reusable space vehicle, "regular" access to space, and a permanent
human presence in orbit, etc. etc. But compared to the big vision of what we
COULD be doing, we've fallen behind. And what's the justification? What are
we doing with the time spent up there? Could we be doing better?

I also find it amazing to think that when we look up at the Space Station
there are actually people up there doing a job of work.

I feel the same way.

When my family and I watch a station pass, I usually greet them by name. Ed,
Pedro, and Yuri have landed, so now it's Mike and Alexei up there on that
little speeding dot of light. It's hard to believe that there are people up
there because it looks so *tiny*. I have seen sun-glare reflected from the
solar panels though, so that makes it easier to think of that dot as a
mechanical complex moving at 17,500mph.