47 years later

Astronaut on the Moon - Photo by NASA

Today, I feel an urge to set aside the needs and stories of the Warrendale neighborhood to focus on what I believe is an important anniversary. 47 years ago today, humanity left this rock we call Earth and took a stroll on the surface of the Moon.

47 years ago today, we lived out President John F. Kennedy's famous challenge to this nation.

47 years ago today, we did what so many skeptics said could never be done.

That, however, was 47 years ago.

Today, for the first time ever, the Hubbel Space Telescope examined the surface of two Earth-sized planets that are orbiting a star other than our Sun. While all of this is going on, NASA's Juno Mission to Jupiter is still exploring the largest planet in our solar system and some of the best engineers in the world are getting ready to have the next generation of astronauts land on an asteroid and on to Mars.

It's all one small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.