The photo below with "Starman", a mannequin in a Tesla Roadster that was launched to space by Elon Musk's then-early-stage company, SpaceX, happened 7 years ago in February!
This inspired a whole lot of people, including me!
This was the catalyst to what the space industry was just beginning to be, and is today.
Rocketry began decades ago, and visionaries thought of the idea of going to space even a century ago.
In fact, the very first rocket that fought gravity and hopped up to the sky, even though technically not anywhere near the sky, let alone space, happened on March 16, 1926.
It had to start somehow, by someone, and indeed, it did with Robert H. Goddard, one of the referred-to "founding fathers of modern rocketry".
(And next year, in 2026, will be a centennial celebration of this first space launch by Goddard!)
I remember seeing the above images of Starman and just couldn't understand what was actually happening, at what was I looking at, not having followed the story initially.
Then I learned it was real and my inspiration for the space industry and what it can achieve - and has achieved in the past seven years! - has anything but faltered.
Innovation, of all kinds and of most industries are needed to push us forward toward futurism, even if we can't quite describe what that really means for our future.
"It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow." - Robert Hutchings Goddard (1882-1945)
But to me, something about all-things pertaining to exploring space, speaks of innovation for the future of humanity; it's simply the thing we need to do to further our understanding of life on Earth, to benefit life on Earth, and to keep exploring as that is in our genes from the beginning of time.
Between the above photo of a car launched to space - the vision and innovation that made something like that happen - and a photo like the one to the left, of destruction, devastation and rubble, which is more inspiring? Which is for the betterment of tomorrow?
It's true that things relating to rockets are not necessarily all bright and of a sustainable or values-driven.
Especially for those outside of the space industry, seeing rockets explode in the sky, or hearing about space debris, or anything from land pollution, potential atmospheric issues, to even sound pollution (rockets are loud! As are sonic boom in reentry of rockets in the atmosphere, measured as up to 146 decibels in some areas), those are all things we should indeed be concerned about and take measures to make sure things are done right, and responsibly.
And hearing Elon Musk say: "Success is uncertain, but entertainment is guaranteed!" of his rockets exploding, when space debris is falling on top of a beautiful land and its people, is not helping the cause of continuing to explore what rockets and space exploration can do.
That's not entertainment nor is it a game!
That's where folks in the industry, need to work hard to make things right and safe.
Because if we say space is for the betterment of life on Earth, let's really make that so!
But if we emphasize on all the research that has been conducted on the space station, all the science from space missions (in our solar system and beyond), and all the innovation pertaining to space exploration and/or in LEO (low Earth Orbit), such as satellites, all those benefitted us right here on Earth (we can't even imagine life without GPS now!).
In the three photos below, which inspire?
Top photo on left is of children in some war-torn country trying to find items they can salvage.
Bottom photo is from the Lowell Observation, kids being inspired by science and space.
Photo to the right (by me) of former NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, talking to children after her talk at the Lowell Observatory on being an astronaut and of her time in space.
Isn't it more interesting to focus on innovating, building, creating..., of our future here on Earth and what's beyond there in space?
Isn't it more interesting, advantageous and inspiring to see kids thrive and them wanting to learn about science and technology - or anything they like.
But the opposite, kids lacking quality of life, access to education and even access to the internet (to see things like Starman out there in space), that is not helping future generations.
From the beginning for me, with Starman in a red car in space, as well as learning about missions like Perseverance rover on Mars, Voyager spacecraft now in interstellar space, New Horizons, originally mission to Pluto, now well beyond our solar system... All bring inspiration and a hope for tomorrow.
That is needed in societies, schools, nations, and the future generation to focus on, for the betterment of life on Earth and the future of humanity.
Seven years of Starman in space, and so much since. I wonder what the next seven years will bring.
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