Since I was a little boy, space has fascinated me. I think if you look back through my school memories book, I checked off astronaut every time (I think I might have checked off “other” and put “superhero” one time…) It truly is the final frontier, though some would argue that we know less about the deep sea than we do about space.

This is why I had difficulties rationalizing my thoughts that humanity doesn’t need to go into space. Honestly, most people never leave their own small area of this planet - what do we need countless more planets to deal with? Just more places that most people can’t visit? There are significant problems back here on Earth - why do we spend so much money looking upward and outward?

It was a difficult thing to start thinking - as I said. I think it came about because I’m reading Children of Dune right now. Either way, I convinced myself that I was wrong.

The reason that we need to go to space is the same reason that Hilliary climbed Everest, the same reason that countless explorers and adventurers have given for what they do. “Because it’s there.” Right now, people need to be unified more than ever before. Few things could bring the world together as one than taking that first small step for mankind. Don’t get me wrong - space exploration won’t magically solve all the world’s problems, but it’s something that generations upon generations have been working towards - whether they knew it or not.

Simpson’s quote of the day: “He’s one of the carbon blobs in sector 7-G.” - Smithers