When I was a child the new technology was the space program. I grew up watching man walk on the moon. Futurists were predicting manned colonies on the moon by 1980, Mars by 1990. Roads would no longer be needed as we would all have flying cars, just like George Jetson.
As I grew older the Apollo program ended, NASA sent unmanned probes, Viking I and II, to Mars. The Space Shuttle was going through testing. In the mean time I watched Star Trek and Star Wars. The future was just around the corner. When I grew up I would own a flying car, which I might not even need because I could just use my own personal transporter.
During my teen years the Space Shuttle had become a reality and was going into orbit on a somewhat irregular basis. Personal electronics had become to shrink to more and more portable sizes. Sony came out with the walkman, The VCR threatened to kill off the movie theater, much like today where we hear that Blu-Ray and the home theater will kill off the movie theater. I did not happen in the eighties and I do not see it happening any time soon.
In 1986 the Challenger disaster happened. I was serving in the Army in Germany when the Space Shuttle exploded. Reality hit, there would be no moon colonies, there would be no colonies on Mars. Space travel, which NASA had made look so routine and safe was dangerous business. As time went on the Space Shuttle would begin to fly again and talk of moon colonies and man exploring Mars would again surface. Then another space disaster struck, Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart upon re-entry. The dream of man living in the stars was getting further and further away.
While man may not return to the moon in my lifetime and man may never physically explore Mars during my time on Earth, at least the flying car I was promised is becoming a reality. Just a few more years and several hundred thousand dollars and I am parking this baby in my garage...of course, reality will once again rear its ugly head and I will end up without my flying car.
That's interesting that for 2 generations technology has been promising habitation on Mars. I remember reading about that in my Weekly Readers in elementary school in the mid 1990s.
ReplyDeleteThat was supposed to be the big next step after the moon. When Apollo was cut they sent Viking I and II to Mars, they were supposed to be the advance party so to speak...If the politicians had stayed out of it and let NASA do its thing...I do think we would have a colonized moon and Mars today.
ReplyDeleteMark:
ReplyDeletePeople don't even drive non-flying cars very well. I'm not sure we want to go with flying ones, but I could see you in this one. I think the burgundy color suits you well. Don't stop hoping. There's no scientific reason for a manned mission to Mars that could possibly justify the hundreds of billions it would cost. In fact, we never would have stepped foot on the moon if it wasn't to beat the Soviets. It was an nationalistic ego thing, more than anything else...
Anthony,
ReplyDeleteI disagree with you about space exploration. As a species, we are explorers. We want to know what is over beyond that next hill. Even without the Soviets we would have gone to the moon sooner or later. The governments of the world waste more on coming up with better ways to kill each other than it would cost to go to Mars. Someday we will go...just not in my lifetime.
Oh, and they flying cars...only I get to drive one...so it will be safe.
The image of spaceship brought me back to when it occurred and exactly where I was...Mr. Racek's sixth grade class. I think it is a true test of man's innovation and imagination to go from the Jetson's...to the man on the moon...to the flying car. I also think about the first computer - it took up a whole building, now everyone has one. Who knows, maybe the youth of today will be jetting around in their flying cars.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of the proposals to send people to Mars and not have them return?
ReplyDelete