Two Reviews: "My Dream of Stars" by Anousheh Ansari

We're the same!

Thanks for the review Keith. I haven't read the book, but I am always a bit miffed when I hear those inspiring tales of rich people who got their ultimate toy, a seat on a spaceship.

I cannot understand statements about always wanting to go in space. People who are -really- interested in space do what most of us here do: Study maths and engineering, try to work for satellites and rocket makers, learn to fly, try to be an astronaut. Or, they write science fiction, compose music, or paint pictures about the heavens. Sometimes all of these.

What they don't do is go into -business-. This seems to me a fairly far-fetched plan that to go for 10 or 20 years into what is as remote as possible from the dream of space (IT business, real estate, finance) to earn shedloads of money and lose your dignity in most cases, and THEN pick up on a failing space power to hitch a ride to LEO. It also takes stupendous powers of prediction to know that the Russians would one day sell their Soyuz seats because they are so cash-strapped.

Admiteddly in the case of Ms Ansari this was not easy, in the midst of political turmoil in a nation with a non-existent space program then (they caught up since, despite almost everybody not letting them get on with it). However I still fail to be impressed by her no-doubt genuine but belated spiritual awakening on-board the ISS.

I have the same feeling for that as I have for some of the Astronauts and Moonwalkers who found whatever it is they found when they went up there and came back giving lessons about how the planet is small and beautiful and we should preserve it and leave in peace on it. This, from mostly trained killers using toxic chemicals in war(air force pilots), or from people who still today deny global warming.

Sigh... Space activities in the North will probably forever be an emotional bundle of good things done for bad reasons, or extraordinary achievements built on questionable or downrights horrible deeds. Even ESA is kind of based on French and British military technology, and the EU military are now eyeing it intently. As far as I know, only India has developed a democratic, peaceful and safe program.

Either that or I'm just jealous.

A.

Keith, I wasn't sure where to inert this comment, but here it is. I just read this morning on the web that Buzz Aldrin will be one on the contestants on Dancing With The Stars 2010. Way to go Buzz.

"People who are -really- interested in space do what most of us here do: Study maths and engineering, try to work for satellites and rocket makers, learn to fly, try to be an astronaut...."

Obviously you are one of the mainstream that bought into the idea that only NASA or NASA sponsored people could go into space.

The more people like Ms. Ansari pursue their dreams, the sooner that space becomes accessible for all of us, and the more readily we can get kids excited about space.

You need to start thinking about the new century, not the last.

It will take some doing, but Ansari, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, these are the Juan Terry Trippe's of space travel.

The more that people fight to hold on to the Apollo era, the longer its going to take and the more difficult its going to be for everyone.

The faster they get these systems into operation the more jobs there are for engineers, rocket makers, and rocket pilots.