nixsight

Okay, I know we keep complaining that the future hasn’t turned out quite the way we hoped it would, but look at this:

What you’re looking at there is a detail of a photograph by Thierry Legault, depicting the Space Shuttle Atlantis and the International Space Station, taken on the 17th September, 2006. The grey backdrop is actually the sun. This is more clear in the complete picture, which is here, with info: astrosurf.com/legault/iss_atlantis_transit.html

Now, I’m a cynical bastard, and I know it’s easy to get jaded about the way things are today: we still seem no nearer to solving the endless human problems such as war, famine, poor division of wealth, and Princess Nikki, and it’s highly probable that we can’t; that those things are ingrained in human nature and can’t be got rid of. Except, possibly, Princess Nikki.

But honestly, how jaded do you have to be to not be impressed by this photo, and what it means? Yeah, our expectations were pretty high, but seriously: there is an international space station… a fucking international space station! In our lifetime! Our journey into space has had it’s pitfalls, tragedies and setbacks, but in the space of less than 200 years, we’ve gone from wondering what it might be like to fly like a bird, to dancing with the stars (albeit in big, probably quite dangerous, metal tubes…).

Legault has many more amazing space photos at his website here: astrosurf.com/legault; thanks to James for showing me his work.

(I’m certain Warren Ellis has written much more eloquently than I have here about the wonder of space exploration and the importance of NASA on his website, but I’m buggered if I can find the post right now…)

[Edit - James just sent me this message: "Atlantis came back safely. Score one for SPACE"]