That’s one small step for man…
– Buzz Aldrin
So what’s next?
As Atlantis made its way to the heavens, I felt a bit sad. This was it.
The feeling is somewhat akin to what happens in my brain the day after completing a marathon. No other races on the horizon, a lack of purpose starts to circulate.
Sure, there’ talk of manned flight to Mars and landing on an asteroid. I all in favor of those. Thing is, I am also supremely confident those things will happen in my lifetime. Years of watching science fiction movies and television have made these goals seem almost expected. They are the logical next steps to where we have been thus far.
I want the illogical next steps.
A moment passed us by when Atlantis launched and no leader took to the podium to say, “Here’s what’s next. I know it sounds perfectly impossible, but we are in the business of the impossible.”
People don’t need permission to dream, but encouragement isn’t going to hurt.