End of an Era

Today the space shuttle returned from its final mission. The shuttle program has officially ended, as well as ending our national program of space exploration.

Having come from the beginning end of this national journey into the vast reaches of a heretofore unexplored universe, I am immensely saddened by this.

It was not so very long ago that I watched with hope and awe as the Mercury and Gemini astronauts would blast into orbit around the Earth with my dad on our black and white television in our living room. Dad's livelihood centered around the space program, and he understood the significance of man entering outer space with little more technological support than paper and pencil and a slide rule.

Dad didn't live to see the Apollo program begin, and he wasn't there with me to see Neil Armstrong land on the moon. But he certainly lived long enough to give me an immense appreciation for what pure scientific discovery can provide each of us in our everyday lives.

Much like Columbus and other discoverers of their time, those that traveled to unexplored lands gained much from their discoveries. But so did those who never left their homeland. Finding the New World brought many new plants for foods and medicines, access to materials like cotton and tobacco that were limited in availability. For all intents and purposes, those back home gained a better quality of life as a result of that exploration and the technical discoveries which came as a result.

Solving the problems of making space flight happen has resulted in so many discoveries, as well. Some are obvious and well-known: computers and their components, which have led to remarkable, inexpensive electronics, freeze-dried foodstuffs, and disposable diapers. But this just scratches the surface. The list is enormous. Some of the discoveries the shuttle program itself brought about were LED lights, carbon monoxide detectors, sensors to detect harmful materials in the air, and microlasers. The Apollo program not only put men on the moon, it set into motion the development of cordless tools, water filters, and home insulation. Smoke detectors were developed for Skylab.

The space program has initiated the development of windshear predictors and collision avoidance systems for airplanes. Its need for specific technology has brought about digital mammography with lower doses of radiation, laser heart surgery, needle breast biopsies, CAT scans and MRI's, lightweight artificial limbs, hand-held on-your-skin thermometers, composite forceps which protected infants when they were born, transmitters which make fetal monitors possible, and the technology that allows computers to arrange human chromosomes to detect genetic abnormalities quickly.

The space program brought us moonsuit fabric which makes foldable covers for stadiums and shopping centers, helmet padding, and better golfballs. Firefighters have breathing equipment to keep them safe, GPS and photography that can help end wildfires, and they can use their "jaws of life" to help extricate you from a crushed vehicle, all the result of the space program. It lets you watch television with instant coverage of faraway events through the use of satellite technology. Satellite technology helps with world-wide fishing and crop management, and space program discoveries helped improve crop dusting, providing all of us with more and better foods.

All these discoveries, and far more besides, come from our national space program, for approximately 0.6% of our entire federal budget. A real bargain.

And a lifetime of memories for one little girl. Priceless.