INSPIRING CURIOSITY
Image Source: NASA (Unsplash)
“Space, the final frontier.” - Captain James T. Kirk.
Recently, Judy and I took a Caribbean cruise, departing from Port Canaveral, Florida. Since we arrived two days before departure, we used the opportunity to create our own pre-cruise excursion, deciding to visit the Kennedy Space Center (also known as Cape Canaveral). Our experience there sparked our curiosity, as did that of the children we saw visiting.
Our day began at 10:30 a.m. when a private car service dropped us at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. We scheduled our return for 4:00 p.m. Following the Kennedy Space Center website’s advice, we started with the bus tour. The buses took us to Gantry 39 with its simulated test fire, past the Vehicle Assembly Building (where we glimpsed the Artemis II launch pad through an open door), and ended at the Saturn V complex. Learning about Saturn V—the rocket that took astronauts to the moon—was a highlight. Because the bus tour was so engaging and time-consuming, we did not have time to explore the main visitor complex, but we both agreed that we would like to return. This visit was especially exciting for me, and I’d like to share why.
Some people may believe that returning to the moon is not a big deal, since NASA has already accomplished this task. However, when I watched the splashdown of Artemis II off the coast of California, I was overwhelmed with joy. In the summer of 1969, the year we landed on the moon, Mom did not sit us in front of the TV to watch Armstrong and Aldrin walk on the moon. She was busy tending to her three children, who had all contracted chickenpox, and preparing for the next school year. For me, Artemis II and the projected 2028 return to the moon represent a second chance at an opportunity I missed at five years old. I can hardly wait for this mission.
Image Source: Space X (Unsplash)
On the day we visited KSC, hundreds of schoolchildren were there on a field trip. Many were in awe of NASA's mission, its scientific breakthroughs, and the interactive exhibits. I believe that among those children, at least one will become an astronaut. The powerful, lasting impression this complex leaves is clear—especially for someone like me, who missed the first moon landing as a child.
After returning to our hotel, I searched YouTube for President Kennedy’s 1962 speech at Rice University in Houston, Texas. His address launched the US into the space race, as we had already fallen behind the Russians in this endeavor. I am sharing this twenty-minute video so others might recapture the excitement they once felt and to give context for generations like mine who were not alive when the President set this course. If you watch, pay attention to his points on advancing knowledge and consider how they relate to today. I encourage you to reflect on how these words might inspire action and perspective in your own life. Until next time -
Namaste,
Tim
P.S. One of my bucket list ideas included a ride on the space shuttle so I could see the Earth from a different perspective, just like the astronauts.
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