Exploration, an Essential Endeavor.

Greetings. Exploration. The attempt to learn all there is to learn, to know all that is knowable. 

We have only begun to scratch the surface, only taken a few small tentative steps into the unknown that surrounds us, the universe. The Pioneer probes, the Voyager probes, and the many planetary probes that have explored the solar system from orbit and from the surfaces of Mars, Titan, Venus, and the Moon. All worthwhile endeavors, all scientifically revealing, all memorable accomplishments in human history. 

 

Now it is time to take another step forward, to move beyond low Earth orbit, to make the journey to Mars, to Ceres, and to the moons of Jupiter and Saturn. Why? Because we need to. Exploration is an essential aspect of the human condition. We will cease to advance without the challenge of exploration. We will stunt our growth as a society without the challenge of exploration. It is a part of us. It always has been. 

Ever since our prehistoric ancestors emerged from the landscapes of Africa, we have explored our environment, whether by foot, by horseback, or by boat. We climbed the highest mountains. We crossed the seas and oceans. We eventually left the planet and journeyed in outer space. We need to keep pushing forward. 

During the heady days of the Space Race in the 1960's, the United States and the Soviet Union completed against each other, and against themselves, all in a herculean effort to land a human being on the surface of the Moon. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the Moon, the entire human race came together, an event which has not occurred since that magnificent July day in 1969. We need that. We need to come together once again. 

Can we explore deep space? Do we have the technological capabilities? Do we have the ability to come together as a planet to make headway? Yes, yes, and I don't know. We can explore deep space, if we come together and work towards a common goal. We do have the technological capabilities, after all, we create nuclear weapons, weather satellites, and radar surveillance systems, all of which require a high level of technology. The real question is, can we come together? Can we put aside our political and ideological differences for the betterment of humanity? I am not sure, and I sincerely wish it were different. 

Perhaps, one fine day, we will come together to kick off a new age of exploration. Perhaps. 

Thank you for your time and indulgence.