The Case for Space

With NASA's Shuttle program grinding to a halt, what's next? Nothing apparently. American Astronauts will fly to and from the Space Station on Russian Spacecraft. Galactic hitchhiking.

This past Saturday I got to hear from two Astronauts, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger (STS-131 Shuttle Discovery) and Gene Cernan (Gemini 9, Apollo 10 & 17) who is the last human to walk on the moon 38 years ago. Cernan was honored with the "Spreading Wings" award at Wings over the Rockies Air and Space Museum.

Here are their thoughts about their experiences in space and why it's important we get a new generation of Americans interested in finding out what's "out there."

Metcalf-Lindenburger:


Gene Cernan:


Speaking with some aerospace engineers recently, the concensus seems to be that the best way to move forward in space exploration is turning it over to private enterprise. Richard Branson is leading the way. The Russians have been charging space tourists $25 million a pop for a trip to the Space Station.

Can you imagine what Apple or Google would have been willing to pay to have their logo on the Shuttle?

We're a nation of explorers. Or at least used to be. This line from The Right Stuff says it all, "No bucks, no Buck Rogers."

Brian Olson
Conversation Starters LLC
"We start the conversation about you"

Honoring the Last Man on the Moon

I had the chance to attend the annual Wings over the Rockies gala this past weekend which honored Astronaut Gene Cernan. He flew aboard the Gemini 9, Apollo 10 and Apollo 17 missions and is the last human being to have walked on the surface of the moon, lifting off on December 14, 1972.

We've never returned since.

It was a grand event and Wings over the Rockies is an extraordinary venue for hosting an event for your company or organization. But the focus this past Saturday was on a true "stick and rudder" guy, Gene Cernan.



The future of space travel is uncertain at best, the Shuttle program is about to end with nothing in the pipeline to follow it. Cernan and other astronauts in attendance told us that it's the kids in school today who hold the key to our future as space explorers and that we must do everything we can to encourage them.

Brian Olson
Conversation Starters LLC
"We start the conversation about you"