40 years ago, I was in Florida for the launch of Apollo 11 in 1969. Even though I was a kid, I remember it with great clarity as a most awesome experience. I also remember watching on a black and white tv the images of man's first steps on the Moon. Over the years I have followed many NASA programs. I am disappointed that the country could have done so much more by this time--we simply did not have the will to do so.
If you ever get a chance to see a launch in person, it is an experience you will never forget. I have seen a shuttle launch and several of the Apollo launches. The Apollo was much more graceful off the pad and even louder than the shuttle, making the ground shake and the reverberations drumming on your chest were unbelievable even at over 3 miles away. Let me tell you, people wept with tears of joy, relief, awe and pride.
The Apollo mission was one of exploration and adventure. The Shuttle program, while very useful, was simply a glorified shuttle bus to low earth orbit. Will Obama continue Bush's goal to send men to Mars? Will Dems fund any further NASA missions other than the occasional unmanned pod? Will we continue to receive the spinnoff benefits of an advanced space program? Or, will the Chinese and Europeans reap the benefits instead? The shuttle will "retire" in about a year. It will be some time before such a launch will shake the ground again.
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