Phoenix touches down on Mars!!!
Posted: Sun May 25, 2008 4:43 pm
Ok, call me a big space geek .. but a new lander has successfully touched down on the little red planet!!!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24811991/
And in case you haven't checked in a while, both the rovers are still cruising around and taking pictures of the martian equitorial landscape!
http://marsrover.nasa.gov/home/index.html
So, why do I care? Other than just being a cool footnote for fans of science fiction? Personally, I believe that mankind's long-term survival will depend on taking our spora to the neighboring planets, space & ultimately other stars. I believe that to be an easier task than trying to get 6 billion people all on the same page of conserving our natural resources & planning our growth with any significant control. Thus, our only choice is to continue exploring & expanding ... just like our ancestors did during the ice age, during the Golden Age of exploration from Europe to Asia & the Americas, during the great Westward Expansion of the United States, etc. etc. etc.
Even in the short-term, man-kind's aspirations to the stars have turned into real-world benefits that we all take for granted. Nearly 50 years ago, we had newly split the atom and set our sights upon the moon. The growth in technology, computers, minaturization from the 1960's , all to advance mankind to the moon, has directly given us home computers, cell phones, digital cameras, etc. A true watershed of technologies that have further opened more doors accross multiple industries.
Anyway, I enjoy seeing our bold steps into other worlds, and hope that the world continues to persue space exploration, and the unification of the human species to that end.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24811991/
And in case you haven't checked in a while, both the rovers are still cruising around and taking pictures of the martian equitorial landscape!
http://marsrover.nasa.gov/home/index.html
So, why do I care? Other than just being a cool footnote for fans of science fiction? Personally, I believe that mankind's long-term survival will depend on taking our spora to the neighboring planets, space & ultimately other stars. I believe that to be an easier task than trying to get 6 billion people all on the same page of conserving our natural resources & planning our growth with any significant control. Thus, our only choice is to continue exploring & expanding ... just like our ancestors did during the ice age, during the Golden Age of exploration from Europe to Asia & the Americas, during the great Westward Expansion of the United States, etc. etc. etc.
Even in the short-term, man-kind's aspirations to the stars have turned into real-world benefits that we all take for granted. Nearly 50 years ago, we had newly split the atom and set our sights upon the moon. The growth in technology, computers, minaturization from the 1960's , all to advance mankind to the moon, has directly given us home computers, cell phones, digital cameras, etc. A true watershed of technologies that have further opened more doors accross multiple industries.
Anyway, I enjoy seeing our bold steps into other worlds, and hope that the world continues to persue space exploration, and the unification of the human species to that end.