Nuggets from Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny

It is apparent that from presidents on down, we persist in pursuing a vain ambition. In a speech to NASA, based on the latest information he had been given and enthusiastically cheered by the space scientists and other insiders present on January 14, 2004, then-President George W. Bush declared:

“America has ventured into space…because the desire to explore is part of our character…. Our current programs and vehicles for exploring space have brought us far and they have served us well…. Robotic explorers have found evidence of water—a key ingredient for life—on Mars and on the moons of Jupiter…. The Mars Exploration Rover Spirit is searching for evidence of life beyond the Earth…. [We hope] to return to the moon by 2020, as the launching point for missions beyond…. With the experience and knowledge gained on the moon, we will then be ready to take the next steps of space exploration: human missions to Mars and to worlds beyond. (Applause) Robotic missions will serve as trailblazers—the advanced guard to the unknown. Probes, landers and other vehicles of this kind continue to prove their worth, sending spectacular images and vast amounts of data back to Earth. Yet the human thirst for knowledge ultimately cannot be satisfied by even the most vivid pictures, or the most detailed measurements. We need to see and examine and touch for ourselves. And only human beings are capable of adapting to the inevitable uncertainties posed by space travel. As our knowledge improves, we’ll develop new power generation propulsion, life support, and other systems that can support more distant travels. We do not know where this journey will end, yet we know this: human beings are headed into the cosmos. (Applause)”