I read this morning of the death of Edgar Mitchell, the Apollo 14 astronaut who was one of only twelve humans to have walked on the moon. Apollo 14 launched on January 31, 1971; the lunar landing took place on February 5; Mitchell became the sixth person to walk on the surface of the moon.
Mitchell, and others like him, define the spirit of adventure. I am overcome with profound sadness as I reflect on what he and the thousands of physicists and engineers and other scientists accomplished less than a lifetime ago—accomplishments that stand in stark contrast to so many more mundane advances today.
Our society seemed to have possessed a remarkable sense of adventure and a willingness to take enormous risks during the period of lunar exploration; it seems to me that admirable characteristic has slipped from all but the precious few.
Mitchell had some unusual perspectives on the universe, but I’d say a man with a willingness to explore beyond the boundaries of the sky has every right to them. Regardless of how I might feel about them, I hold him in high esteem and I weep for the loss of someone who taught us a thing or two about what is possible with enough passion and drive.
