Seeing the Artemis II splashdown on TV last night felt like a breath of fresh air. Newscasters focused, for the first time in months (or maybe years), on something other than politics and war.
The live broadcast jogged my memories of black-and-white film footage and still photos from NASA’s Mercury and Gemini missions that I saw in during the late 1950s and early 1960s, and of the gradual transition to color coverage in the Apollo flights. One of my most treasured recollections is that of my dad and I sitting in front of the TV in our living room in October 1968, watching Neil Armstrong step onto the surface of the moon.
My 14-year-old self had no way of knowing that it would be over half a century before our great space adventure would continue. Had I known, I might have mourned the idea that two generations of teens would miss out on the feeling of optimism and inspiration that engulfed us that day.
Last night, I heard a commentator remark about the awed facial expressions of the children and teens in the crowd gathered for a watch party at the San Diego Air and Space Museum, close to the splashdown site. These young people are growing up in a different world than I did. The anger, chaos, and sadness of today has put a damper on the hopes and dreams of many people.
I hope that the youth who witnessed this rebirth of space exploration remember the experience, and I pray that it gives them something to hold onto as the world teeters on the brink of the unknown.
#ArtemisII #RestoringHope #dreams
Image credit: NASA
Add comment
Comments