US East Coast 2018: Space - The Next Frontier

"For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond, and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace."

When US President John F. Kennedy first launched the space programme decades ago, humankind had completely next-to-nothing understanding of space exploration. The year was 1961, just a couple of years after the Soviets had launched the satellite Sputnik into space. It was an extension of the Cold War beyond the reaches of the planet; it was the beginnings of the Space Race.

Yet before the end of the 1960s' the Americans had won the race to the moon by sending the first men there, a feat unparalleled in human history.

This was a most interesting aspect of scientific advancement that I had never personally encountered; that was until I stepped into Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and personally came face to face with the milestones of US space history. It was a most fascinating learning experience for us; and I feel that I had learnt more about space exploration than what I had ever learnt in my entire life!

For instance, it was delightful to learn about the progress of space exploration (from the Gemini early moon exploration programme to the Apollo moon landing missions to the Atlantis space shuttle programme).

Then we had the opportunity to personally examine the parts of the Apollo craft - the command module, service module and lunar module; it was the Apollo 11 mission which first took the astronauts Neil Armstrong, Edwin Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon. And we got the opportunity to actually touch a rock from the moon!

Another fascinating area of learning was about the International Space Station. This was launched in 1998 by 17 countries and has been continuously occupied for more than 17 years. It is truly remarkable that the international community has worked together on this important project, with many scientific advancements gained as a result of their important work.

What blew us away were the personal experiences. For instance we not only got a glimpse of the actual instruments used during the first manned Saturn mission (Apollo 8), we also got to feel the sights, sounds and sensations of an actual space shuttle launch!

Space research has advanced far beyond our expectations. Space - the final frontier? Perhaps one day we will be able to explore beyond the reaches of our current galaxy and accomplish things previously deemed to be unthinkable!

The Previous Page - A Parent's Guide to Surviving Disney (& Having a Blast)! Read here.

What's Next? - Good 'Ol Movie-Making Magic. Read here.

From the Beginning - Start reading the record pages of our US East Coast Travel Adventure here.

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