Saturday, September 22, 2012

Here, representative Gabby Giffords and her astronaut husband Mark Kelly watch Space Shuttle Endeavour fly past their location on a route not unlike that of a deflating party balloon en route to LAX for display at the California Science Center nearby.  She's got this big grin on her face - happy to see the Shuttle.  I feel more like Kelly.  He seems more reserved - a bit saddened, something like he's watching a party balloon deflate.  I was happy we had the Shuttle program.  I saw three launches in person, and they were spectacular, but the program was too expensive. I'm glad it's cancelled, but it is bittersweet, especially because we have precious little to replace it yet.  We need a program to assert and maintain our leadership in one of the most complicated fields of scientific endeavour - and the space program does just that.