Space Cadet

Space, the final frontier, these are the voyages of the New Horizons spacecraft, her nine and a half year mission to travel three billion miles and provide detailed images of the Dwarf Planet Pluto. She did it, mission control we have success!

Are you as excited as I am by this, cause you should be. With only two percent of the imaging in for analysis we already know we were wrong about many things regarding Pluto. It will take approximately sixteen months to receive all of the information New Horizons has transmitted and here's an even more awesome thing, this little craft has already travelled two million miles beyond Pluto.

Now, I know Pluto has been a controversial topic, like many of you I grew up with the planet Pluto, then the scientists gobsmacked us with the shocking announcement that it was not a planet but was in fact a new category called Dwarf Planet. I know, I know, it was...disturbing, but we've moved on. This little planet has much to teach us.

In a time full of bad things in the news, it's refreshing to witness something so exciting. If you haven't already done so, go to www.nasa.gov to view pictures and read about the journey to Pluto. Also take the time to send  congratulations to everyone on the New Horizons team.

I have always supported the NASA program and strongly believe we must explore space. It would be easy to turn inward and say we can't afford the programs but that is incredibly short sighted. Our space program is a matter of national pride or at least it should be and once was. Russia has not abandoned their program, nor should we. In fact it has been a good relationship building endeavor with the Russians. We are currently hitching rides on Russian craft to participate on the International Space Station, for a fee. We need to accelerate the advancement our next-generation spacecraft.

China has a fledgling national space program and commercial companies are expanding, including the initiatives of Sir Richard Branson of Virgin fame.

Onward and upward, warp speed!