Back To The Future

Wheeeeee! America returns to space!

How well I remember an evening back in (gulp) 1958 (I was a wee child, mind you) sitting on my aunt and uncle’s porch gazing at the Minnesota sky. The grownups kept pointing to a tiny blip of light inching past the millions of stationery ones.

“Sputnik,” they said, their voices full of awe.

So, yes. I grew up in the sixties—a decade that began with Frankie and Annette but ended with Jimi and Janis. A decade that began with innocence and ended with sociopolitical upheaval.

But, in the midst of the turmoil, there was always the wonder of space: Alan Shepard’s first flight…John Glenn’s trip around the earth...the trio who circled the moon. And, of course, the day Neil Armstrong uttered those infamous words (which, unfortunately, also coincided with my first hangover, so that’s a memorable day for a couple of reasons, but oh, I digress).


A lot of people sniff at space exploration. They feel it’s a waste of money. But every time you power up your computer, you can thank the aerospace industry whose need for it fostered the explosion of Information Technology. Every time you face an MRI, you can thank the aerospace industry for lending its knowledge to other applications. And, of course, it goes without saying that every time you crack those eggs into a Teflon pan…or Velcro-up those sneakers…

Enough about space, I’m off to pack for Reno.....