cooperation

It is quite amazing what's happening in space right now. The moniker now really does apply: it is the International Space Station.


The photo here shows Dan Tani talking during the "farewell" ceremony. He was saying that it wasn't that long ago that these nations were not on friendly terms. Now, with the addition of the Columbus module to the ISS, a new era begins.

I was just a kid in the '60s and '70s. But I felt the anxiety, the trepidation, at the height of the Cold War. It was not difficult to imagine a military exchange. It was almost tangible the nervousness on the world stage between countries.

Today, what an incredible feeling. And this will all be further heightened next month with the Japanese module attached. The partnership and cooperation is inspiring.

We have some new countries to be wary of. But increasingly I feel that we are leaving our violent past behind us. As a unified planet, we are beginning our first serious steps toward expanding and helping the human race.