Many of you know that I have the privilege of working very closely with an impressive group of individuals. Several of these people have storied military careers or more degrees than can be counted on the normal human hand. These unbelievable levels of education and career experience tend to blend together over the years, and many of them become more like your average co-worker. However, every now and then one actually manages to shine brighter than all the other stars.
More than 40 years ago, there was a similar group of individuals the entire world looked up to. They were pilots, engineers, and scientists turned pioneers, explorers, and heroes. The original seven astronauts were admired by all. Despite our current focus on stars shaving their heads, professional athletes doping, and the latest iPod (don't get me wrong, I'm a giant Apple fan), we really do still have actual heroes among us. And they exist on the same level as the Mercury Seven.
Nobody knows the names of the individuals in the current astronaut corps; however, one name you should know is Sunita Williams (Suni to those of us in the space program). It just really hit me the other day how amazing her young career as an astronaut has been. For beginners, she spent a total of 195 days on the International Space Station (ISS) as a member of ISS Expeditions 14 and 15. During that time she left the life-sustaining confines of her spacecraft on four occasions, completing nearly 30 space-walking hours (setting a world record for female space travelers). By the way, this mission was her maiden voyage to the stars. As if this wasn't enough, Suni completed the entire 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon on an ISS treadmill, all while traveling 17,500 miles an hour. Her official time: 4 hours, 23 minutes, and 10 seconds.
More than 40 years ago, there was a similar group of individuals the entire world looked up to. They were pilots, engineers, and scientists turned pioneers, explorers, and heroes. The original seven astronauts were admired by all. Despite our current focus on stars shaving their heads, professional athletes doping, and the latest iPod (don't get me wrong, I'm a giant Apple fan), we really do still have actual heroes among us. And they exist on the same level as the Mercury Seven.
Nobody knows the names of the individuals in the current astronaut corps; however, one name you should know is Sunita Williams (Suni to those of us in the space program). It just really hit me the other day how amazing her young career as an astronaut has been. For beginners, she spent a total of 195 days on the International Space Station (ISS) as a member of ISS Expeditions 14 and 15. During that time she left the life-sustaining confines of her spacecraft on four occasions, completing nearly 30 space-walking hours (setting a world record for female space travelers). By the way, this mission was her maiden voyage to the stars. As if this wasn't enough, Suni completed the entire 26.2 miles of the Boston Marathon on an ISS treadmill, all while traveling 17,500 miles an hour. Her official time: 4 hours, 23 minutes, and 10 seconds.
Suni Williams running the Boston Marathon on the ISS.Most importantly, however, is that despite all these achievements Suni has found a way to reside on two planes of existence at the same time. She soars among the best in our country's astronaut corp, yet she remains down-to-earth with the rest of us mere mortals. You understand this immediately the first time you're introduced to her and her contagious smile. You matter to her. I can understand how all of us geeks (i.e. engineers) would start to blend together after thousands of hours of training and pre-flight meetings, but Suni somehow manages to convey that we're all part of the same team. This, to me, is what allows her to shine brighter than all the other stars that surround her.
Hopefully in the future NASA will find a better way to encourage our youth to pursue their dreams, but I wanted to do my small part in assuring you that there are positive heroes still in existence. The hip-hop movement hasn't completely ruined everything...yet. There are still professionals that are worth looking up to. Don't get me wrong, Suni is not perfect, as are none of us. But if you have only enough room in your brain for the name of one astronaut, make sure it's Sunita Williams...it'll be worth the cells. As for me, I'm proud to say that I have worked alongside one of these heroes.
You can find out more about Suni here: NASA Astronaut bios and Wikipedia.
Hopefully in the future NASA will find a better way to encourage our youth to pursue their dreams, but I wanted to do my small part in assuring you that there are positive heroes still in existence. The hip-hop movement hasn't completely ruined everything...yet. There are still professionals that are worth looking up to. Don't get me wrong, Suni is not perfect, as are none of us. But if you have only enough room in your brain for the name of one astronaut, make sure it's Sunita Williams...it'll be worth the cells. As for me, I'm proud to say that I have worked alongside one of these heroes.
You can find out more about Suni here: NASA Astronaut bios and Wikipedia.
