In 1999, I was lucky enough to travel to Jamaica to see my father, who was working there then. If I am honest, I wasn’t very taken with Kingston, but outside the capital, it’s a beautiful country. I will not forget the day on the speedboat cutting across the clear waters, nor will I forget freshly caught lobster, cooked and eaten on the beach. This week I have been wondering what happened to these places after Hurricane Ivan went on its seek-and-destroy mission across the Caribbean.
Like everybody else, I was shocked to hear of the loss of the space shuttle Columbia. Like many, the first pictures I saw were the trails in the sky as the craft disintegrated. I’ve just found this radar picture online from the US National Weather Service which shows the heat generated as Columbia broke up. Despite the previous tragedy, it seemed space travel was gradually becoming routine. Seeing the radar image reminded me just what these craft and crew have to endure to push the boundaries of human knowledge. It brought space travel back into perspective for me and really shows the bravery of those who choose to go into space. As the events leading to the disaster unfold, it’s time to remind ourselves that we really are pushing boundaries. I am grateful that people are prepared to take such great risks in the interest of human knowledge. I, for one, salute their bravery.