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A Milestone Passed

Samuel HooperLeave a comment

The Telegraph reports today on a scientific and technological milestone about to be passed by the human race – Voyager 1, the NASA space probe launched in 1977, is due to become the first man-made object to leave our solar system, the Milky Way:

Scientists launched Voyager 1 in 1977 on what was meant to be a five-year mission to Jupiter and Saturn, however 30 years later the vessel has continued towards the boundary of our solar system 11 billion miles from Earth.

Once the spaceship crosses this border it will enter interstellar space – the void between our solar system and the rest of the universe – becoming the first man-made object to venture beyond our solar “bubble”.

In the newspaper’s own comments section, many readers have been responding with the sentiments either of nostalgia (look what we could do as a species when we put our mind to it in that era) or with happiness (how nice to see a positive story in these difficult times, etc.). One reader, identified only as Hardeep_Singh, summed it up best for me:

“Extraordinary a glimpse of when anything was possible compare that to today’s mindset, ‘fairness’, protest, ‘lessons must be learnt’, etc.”

I know that I am in a small and diminishing minority of those who believe that even in these recession-hit, austere times, we should continue to dream grand dreams, and implement the ambitious programmes to make them possible. But it is my view that our societies cannot be built of just hospitals and schools and roads and bridges and the utilitarian things that bind us to the present; there must be room also for the arts, for medical research, scientific exploits and human-inspired voyages that perhaps don’t have a pre-determined goal in sight (Voyager 1’s mission after Titan was made up on the fly, the craft was not expected to remain functional for so long) but which generate new knowledge and bring back riches for us all nonetheless. I hope that our leaders will remember this, and that it will not fall exclusively to China and the developing world to explore these new frontiers and pass these milestones.

On a much more lowly, terrestrial scale, this article also happens to represent a small milestone in itself – the 100th piece that I have uploaded to this blog. Many thanks to you all, frequent and occasional readers alike, for your time, your comments and your support.

And God speed Voyager 1 on its journey.

Thank You

Samuel Hooper4 Comments

I wanted to write a quick note of thanks to the readers of this blog. Last night, after just over two weeks of daily blogging, I reached my 1000th viewing:

As was to be expected, the majority of these views originate from either the United Kingdom or the United States, with the UK currently holding a very narrow lead. New Zealand, France, Spain and Hong Kong are also quite well represented, as is Colombia (though I believe this to be entirely attributable to the fact that my wonderful sister-in-law is there on holiday at the moment – thanks for reading!!).

My solitary viewer from Iceland, sadly, has not become a regular reader. I hope one day to capture the interest of a second Icelander.

I am, however, personally affronted that nobody from Canada has yet tuned in. Where is the Commonwealth solidarity, I ask you? The great white north comprises a substantial part of the world’s land mass that I have yet to stake a claim on. I will forgive the citizens of China, though, as my blog is probably not visible from behind the great firewall, and would likely be of little interest even if it was.

Anyway.

I would like to thank you all for your clicks and comments. I value the comments, dissents and suggestions in particular; it is affirming to know that I am not speaking into an empty void and I highly prize the opportunity to engage and discuss the issues that I cover here. I hope that my humble blog will continue to be a source of entertainment, information, infuriation or a mixture of all three for a long time to come.

With thanks – Sam.