I took a photo of the last space shuttle launch from my back yard and watched my family viewing it climb into the heavens with awe, waiting for the usual rumble sound. Since my youth, I have been encouraged to follow aerospace technology having a father who was a pilot by profession and a brother who worked for Grumman in Melbourne.
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NSBNews.net photo by Jeanette DiCara / Atlantis rockets into space in the distance from this Edgewater neighborhood.It is amazing how many inventions the space shuttle program has brought to our society such as enhanced microimaging, biotechnology changes and the ability to insulate more efficiently.
My family and I are sad not only that the shuttle program is ending now, but that the Constellation Program was stopped suddenly by our current president.
We are very concerned about the local economy and the future of those who worked at or near NASA including teachers and store owners and business in general.
Until another space project as big as the shuttle such as the moon or Mars, I wonder if the standard of learning will be lowered for our young people in this country. We will not know what inventions may be created out of the need for the space journeys we could encounter using human exploration. Our national economy will be affected, and it will give other countries an edge over us as space exploration continues outside our borders.
Until another space project as big as the shuttle such as the moon or Mars, I wonder if the standard of learning will be lowered for our young people in this country. We will not know what inventions may be created out of the need for the space journeys we could encounter using human exploration. Our national economy will be affected, and it will give other countries an edge over us as space exploration continues outside our borders.
Only time will tell if space exploration will continue using private industry and what will happen locally now that the shuttles stopped launching after 30 years.
Jeanette DiCara, July 8, 2011