Perfect Gifts and Riled Rantings

As I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
If I die before I wake
I know the Lord my soul will take
So I'm more concerned with trying to awake!

Today was no exception.

In one of the frequent battles with my cheap travel alarm clock that only gives you three shots at snooze before shutting off completely today's victory lies with the machine. Succumbing to the subtle seductions of sleep I missed not only my first class, but my first three classes. C'est la vie.

Slipping in seemingly unnoticed just before the post-lunch sessions started, I ran upstairs to check email and speak with Cari who had texted me saying she had a present for me. Like an impatient five-year-old I hurried to the TP2 room. She was completely unimpressed with the fact that I had caused her to wait a 4 whole hours to give me the present she just simply couldn't resist buying for me at the outdoor market in front of her flat this morning. I happily obliged by immediately rummaging through the blue plastic bag and the cardboard box to discover her gift. How beautiful! Going along with my excitement about Christmas, Cari had given me the perfect gift. A small porcelain figure of a Christmas tree with Santa, stockings and presents lining the base had been hollowed out and punctured with stars to reveal the light from the rose-scented tea candles that fit snugly inside. What a beautiful way to start the morning! I mean, what a beautiful way to start the day!!! So, on this Wednesday, the 19th of November, the hero of the day award goes to Cari!
Thanks, luv!

The first of today's classes (for me anyways) were the team presentations for the Team Project Status Review. This is kind of a big deal but not really. Basically, the class has been self-selected into two teams, each one undertaking a huge project that is the equivalent to the senior design project for my AE friends in terms of time and grade value. Team 1 (TP1) has been charged to create a truly mobile internet. Team 2 (TP2) has a far more interesting task.

Entitled "A Manned Mission to Titan and Europa: Why Not?" our team's task is to explore the feasibility or non-feasibility associated with sending humans to the moons of Saturn and Jupiter. While both teams did a good job presenting, I was proud to be a part of TP2 as our presenters talked about the implications associated with such a mission. Some things being considered include Spacecraft Design, Propulsion Systems, Mission Design & Architecture (design of the mission itself; what do we want to do?), Business & Management (who pays for it; who controls it?), Human Factors (medical, psychological and sociological), Legal and Ethical (ethics, religious factors and societal effects) factors. I am currently involved with the Ethics portion. At the end of the presentations, in keeping with ISU tradition, the faculty (and any visiting lecturers) usually try and tear us apart with their questions/comments. Today, they were a little bit easier on us since this was just a status report for the literature review portion of the project.

A visitor having a background relevant to the internet project sat in on the review. Understandable. But can you imagine that he didn't really know anything about our project but took a shot with questions anyways? He was wondering why we were even considering sending humans on the mission in the first place.

I really wanted to take this question, but Bhavs did a great job. Still, I'd like to tell you what I would've said, given the chance. I would've said: For one, sir, the entire point of our project is to determine whether or not it is possible with existing and near-future technology to send humans on such a mission. Leaving aside the issue of it being a mandatory aspect of our project, I press on.

Recently, while discussing the ethical and political implications of the one-way ticket philosophy with my favorite Russian, Professor Nikolai Tolyarenko... Wait. Here I should explain that the idea of a one-way-ticket mission. A one-way-ticket is much like it sounds; simply stated, the astronauts would not return to Earth. For whatever of a pluthera of possible reasons, they would understand and value the vision of the mission such that they would sacrifice their lives for the scientific and humanitarian benefits of said mission to all mankind. Believe it or not, people would line up for the dream-shot chance at the adventure of a lifetime and the chance to make a difference for the future of humanity. I’m not sure I wouldn’t be among them.

I digress. One suggested solution is to send a robot crew. To such sentiments, Nikolai responded in this manner: “Excuse me for being rude, but would you sleep with a robot? No! Of course not!” You see it’s not what can be done; it’s about what WE can do.

The vastness of space is nothing when compared with the insatiable drive of discovery.

We don’t do these things because they’re simple, logical or even safe. We do them because they haven’t been done yet. When asked why he felt the need to climb Mt. Everest George Mallory said, “Because it is there.”

I could go on and on. I could talk about JFK’s Rice Moon Speech in which he implored us to go to the moon because it was hard; because it would cause us to combine our best of everything and work toward a common goal; because of the better people we would become on the other side of it. I could talk about the pioneering spirit of mankind. I could talk about great gain hinging on great risk. I could talk to you about the one-way-tickets certain Pilgrims took on a boat called the Mayflower to colonize a new world. I could tell you that they succeeded and settled the east coast of America. I could tell you that the pioneers tamed the Wild West simply by finding, exploring and enduring her environment. I could tell you that thanks to the adventurous spirit of those cowboys, millions of people now live in California.

Spaceflight isn’t about the destination; it’s about the journey. Process vs. Product. It’s about adventure and discovery and the power of the human spirit. It’s about redefining the term impossible to include possible. It’s about daring to dream; crazier still it’s about stepping into the unknown to recognize that dream. You may think these ideas fanciful or ridiculous. I hope so because I didn’t come to The International Space to think conventionally. I came here to dream of space and dream I shall!!!