Friday
Jul082011
Boundaries
Friday, July 8, 2011 at 3:21PM 
If you want to understand something, you have to look at its edge. It’s the boundaries of things that define them. The borders of a country allow us to recognize its shape on a map. The contours of a loved one’s face are what trigger our hearts to skip a beat.
There is a simple boundary to the human experience, the radius of the planet we call home. And every time we break it, we redefine what it means to be us.
I witnessed this today, as I watched four astronauts leave this planet on a pillar of fire. As they pushed out the edge of what it means to be human, I got a tiny bit closer to understanding.
Reader Comments (8)
Great reflection post. Glad you got to see the amazing sight of true greatness. In your case second time's the charm!
Maybe I'll be so lucky when the new replacement rockets get to fly in a decade or so.
Beautiful column of vapor shot!
i know exactly what you're talking about! the first shuttle launch i saw was on a field trip in third grade. we got an amazing behind the scenes tour and i got to experience my first imax movie, but what really blew my mind was when the shuttle exited our atmosphere. all of a sudden, the flame cuts out. it marks a definitive boundary to our planet. at 9 years old i suddenly realized that those brave souls were beyond the outer limits of my comprehension.
thanks for sharing!
I *love* that image. And in fact what a fitting final flight image - the pillar lost in the clouds, casting a shadow on the SKY...
Im usually very stoic about launches, but today I was moved to tears by the event. I cant articulate why, but it was a very emotional experience I[and that was just watching the NASA feed on my computer,] ;-)
It's somehow a more grey world that we live in when the shuttle has been retired without a replacement.
The idea of a re-usable space vehicle was such a big part of there we we're headed in the 80's... But, the boldest ideas of the last century seem to be give way so easily to cost, particularly with manned Mars missions get shelved too.
I live in Bristol in the UK, and drive pass the last Concord to fly, left outside and rotting in rain at Filton where she was designed. Its weird that we can retire these machines with no better replacements. What other technology does that happen with?
Machines designed in the 60's and 70's with slide rules, took man into space hundreds of times, and crossed the Atlantic every day arrive in New York before you left London... How did we tire of space, and supersonic fight as ideas?
Its like some of these big projects of the last millennium were our vivid, REM dreams, and now we've just fallen back into normal sleep.
"Give way so easily to cost..." and yet there seems to be plenty of money to chase "terrorists" and fund wars. I cannot believe we live in a world where such innovative ideas give way to paranoia. Supersonic flight may have been the plaything of the rich but one crash doesn't warrant grounding Concorde.
If you want a glimpse of a possible future check out Jaque Fresco's Venus Project. The idea of not quite supersonic but really really fast far reaching maglev trains encircling the world really appeals to me. Sounds a lot safer than flying...even on Concorde.
Glad that you got to go back this time around, Stu. Stephanie and beth and everyone sure did right by everyone, bringing folks back.
Having seen two launches (125, 134) up close & personal now, there's one thing that I'm left with that I think is worth remembering: extraordinary things are made, and done, by normal people. Extraordinary people, yes, but decidedly real people. It's the dedication and professionalism and passion that turn dream and myth into reality, and history.
I really like this post and all the replies. As a country and as a people I don't think we were ever better than we were during the Apollo and the STS programs. They are/were the pyramids and cathedrals our time. A time when our reach didn't exceed our grasp.
Ps. I love the photo and especially the shadow through the clouds of the plume that rises above them.