"To the moon and back..."

First of all, I want to point out that the title is a direct copy of one my favourite songs by Savage Garden...But i felt nothing would be a more apt title!

Last Sunday was one of the most memorable days in my life... I went on a visit to the Johnson Space Center of NASA in Houston, Texas...Also, India is launching its first lunar mission this week...I am literally over the moon with all these developments!!!

Why? Should i be happy? well read on!I am shamelessly biased in favor of space exploration...

Since 1958, NASA has been a pioneer in space exploration...Along with the Soviets, they paved the way for the future generations..at the Johnson Space Center, the history of space travel is well documented... While one walks through the galleries, one does not feel jealous of US of feel indimidated by their technologies... As one looks into the faces of smiling men and women in spacesuits from the picture frames, one cannot help smiling back!!! its not a feeling of inferiority one feels...rather one gets the feeling that we humans have achieved something! It may sound like corny and phony socialism but looking at them makes one feel proud at the technological progrees humanity has made.
We were taken to the place where astronauts are trained, where missions are controlled (yes..there is an actual room like "Houston Calling!") and the rockets that carried humans to the moon...It was so inspiring... There were some kids who were always lifting their hands when someone asked "who wants to be an astronauts?"! I remembered my own childhood when i dreamt ( and i think everyone does) of being a pilot or an astronaut and flying! how time flies...i really envied them, for my elevated status as an "adult" did not entitle me to some simple child like priviledges!
Then there is the human story...how normal people become astronauts (Warning!!! they are not so normal..they have impressive resumes!!)...how they are trained and how they are ready to take all risks willingly... They have rigorous training for 3 years but the most difficult part is, as one lady-astronauts put it "...is the last week before blast off, when you have to say bye to your family, not knowing if you will see them again"...It was such a beautiful expression...afterall, they are not that out-of the world person!
Again, the immense respect given to the departed...for every every astronaut who died, a tree is planted...The name Columbia often comes up and is one of the most tragic days in their history... they play a speech by Bush when one reaches that memorial spot "... We choose the best among us to go out and discover for us...these brave men and women knew the risk they were taking and they took it willingly..." he sums up nicely when he says that if we stop space exploration because of such an incident, we will be sacrificing the very cause for which they died!!!
I fully support India going for the lunar mission-as a a man of science,as a citizen and as a rational person...Maybe 800 Mn of us are below poverty line....but to say that is like saying that our cricket players should not go to Australia or to say that "No more IITs and give money to poor"... I can argue for a whole day on the merits of the lunar mission, technically, but i dont want to do that as i am more drawn out to the human angle... the most valid reason, i feel , has been given by an ISRO official .."It will draw talented youngsters to scientific research and space and aerounautical engineeering"...When this happens, maybe i ll type my blog from the moon in a few years!!!!
I know that there are many people who claim that moon landing was a hoax and blah blah... they have some convincing agruments... My reasoning is simple...proving that US did not land on moon does no one any good except some petty nationalistc person... but knowing that a HUMAN has set foot on the moon- that means something to ME, and i think to many of us...The first Appolo mission was destroyed, killing all astronauts inside the rocket in the fire... these people were the best we as humans had to offer....if we claim that all this is a hoax and these "best"people, with the best technology humans had invented had failed, and We actually did not land on the moon, we are actually looking down on ourselves...the choice is ours...

I once read an story of how several british officers helped 3 british officers helped escape from a German POW camp during WWII... only 3 escaped, but all the officers were over the "moon" on successfull completion of the project.... At that time i thought how was this possible...but i think i understand it now...I may not know the person who goes to space.....but i know that somehow it has been the collective efforts of all humanity that has made possible for one of us to break free of restraints like gravity and soar!!! Only a few may have actually gone to space, but each of them is a story of human success...human being refused to be bogged down immense ans seemingly unsurmountable hurdles nad perform "Earth-defying" adventures!!!! Yes, to the moon and back....