Blogtrek

International Space Station

When I was a boy around 1955, I read books and magazines about how one day we will have space stations that look like double doughnuts and that these stations will be big and numerous. It is now 2002, the future is here. Do we have space stations? Yes, but we have only one, the International Space Station, much smaller than the ones that Chesley Bonestell imagined in his space art, and difficult to get to. But we do have one, and after looking the times up on a NASA web site, I went outside tonight just before 1800 and saw the space station crossing from right to left with a shuttle docked to it. I enjoyed seeing this bright speck of light traveling in the sky - it indicates that we are progressing into space, although rather slowly. Eventually we will get more space stations up and start colonizing the moon, provided that none of a number of possible catastrophes hits us first. I found the sight of that station inspiring.