What NASA owes me.

August 08, 2005 What NASA owes me.

Yeap... NASA owes me a lot!
Specifically my generation, the 30-somethings, those who cheered with every shuttle launch (proves you don't have to be american to dream to be an astronaut), depressed for weeks after sobbing over the disintegration of Challenger and then Columbia, shuttle missions are items on the favorites menu, who woke at 4am in August 8th, 2005 in anticipation of Shuttle Discovery at home safely. I know I am not alone with my expectations of NASA, after all science propelled me through school; writing a indepth essay on the disintegration of Challenger for an English paper at 14 and all the way to an engineering degree.

Personal rants aside, NASA needs to continue to strive for excellence. The space program benefits mankind, not just Americans as some may consider. For the cynics of the space program, throw out your cell phones and GPS guidance systems. Shuttle missions launched satelites that make your cell phones work. The simplest things on Earth began in space. Fish finders and GPS systems that hunters use to find their way to the keg, they are not powered by Tinkerbells! More accurate weather prediction is another product of the successful space program. Military technology will be less precise and more deadly without the space program. More deadly, without the aid of lazer guided missiles, a cluster of 50 bombs in place of 1. Without the support of GPS, we will still be fighting the Desert Storm, Bosnia will still be under ethnic conflict, and countless other events in history would not be written.

* Hats off to the Gipper, for his vision, persistence and persuasion that jump-started the space programme.
* Geee... previous administration felt that the space programme was unneccesary and cut funding!! Shame Shame!
* NASA owes me sleepless nights and a way out of this compulsive infactuation with the space programme.
* NASA owes me the lost pride when I was the nerd defending the space program to a group of blank faces.
* NASA owes my generation the next frontier beyond a successful launch and return of a shuttle.
* NASA owes me and my children another teacher-Christie McAullife in space. NASA owes me the absence of nerves on future missions.
* NASA owes me more spectacular launch scenes because I still have more room on my wall.
* NASA owes me not to scrap the shuttles until a replacement transport is ready.
* NASA owes me not to give up. Because I have not.