By now, you should all know I did the crip walk into the wee hours of Monday morning. I have no shame, and when I retell this story in ten years, that will probably be my lead in statement. I can think of no better reaction, however, to the near-perfect landing of the Mars Curiosity Rover (MSL) that exceeded all expectations.
As a spectator, I've tracked the development and preparation that has gone into this mission-- it has spanned over 10 years, and 5,000 people from over 37 states...if that's not enough to stir some of your patriotism, then, well...I don't know. And as I sat early Monday morning, slightly hunched, biting the right side of my cheek, attempting to decipher NASAspeak from Mission Control, NASA JPL director Charles Elachi spoke the following quote from Teddy Roosevelt as we waited for confirmation of a touchdown in Gale Crater:
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
And then, as if a nine month cruise through the universe was a small feat, it was finished. Wheels down, pictures up!
I love how the Rover sent back this picture as if to say, "hey...on my mama, on my hood, I look fly, I look good, touch my swag, wish you could..."
Through it all, this has to be my most favorite moment:
Why? Well, for starters, note my mullet friend around :26. Watch his face. Then notice the faces around him. People who have poured their hearts and souls into concepts and 'what-ifs' that challenge the possible. That's what it's all about...finding the passion and latching on to what fulfills you and what you believe in, using it for the greater good--and making things happen. It's a notion that I still haven't figured out for myself, but search for daily. This little slice of inspiration was a great reminder that it can exist. Quite frankly, this mission reaffirmed that with all things, when you have the perfect mix of what's known with what can possibly be, the results can be--pun intended--out of this world.
As the NYT noted, JPL Director Charles Elachi said he walked outside mission control about
an hour and a half before landing and stared up at Mars. “You are going
to have a visitor,” Elachi said he whispered. “And the planet smiled,”
Elachi said. “That's when I knew.”
That's what it's all about folks. Once again, another giant leap for mankind.
Bring on those pictures!!
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