enthalpy

Tuesday, July 26, 2011


I've stayed away from the gnashing of teeth on the end of NASA's manned spaceflight program, almost as much as I've stayed from Lileks in the past seven years. But he nails this one.
So what’s the attachment, really? Childhood attachment to Star Trek fantasies, geeky fascination with spaceships, adolescent marination in sci-fi visions of rockets and moon bases and PanAm shuttles engaged in a sun-bathed ballet with a space station revolving to the strains of Strauss, phasers and warp six and technobabble and the love of great serene machinery knifing through clouds of glowing dust? Probably. It’s not over, I know – but it’s like watching the last of Columbus’ ships return, and learning they’re cutting up the mast for firewood, and no one’s planning to go back any time soon. At first you look at the ocean and imagine what’s out there, because that’s what you’ve been doing all your life – and then you lean to stop wondering, because it reminds you of the day you saw the last ship leave.
Let's go, or let's not. It's a matter of public opinion. But when it's over, man, is it gonna be over.



Home