A is for Astronaut

(c) NASA (source)
My father reckons I was about 3 when I said that I wanted to be an astronaut for the first time. Most kids want to be astronauts at that age, although most of them outgrow it and move on to other professions, like fireman or doctor (or a porn star, apparently girls today want to be porn stars when they grow up). I, however, never grew up.


(c) NASA (source)
Wanting to be an astronaut has been, and still is, one of the main forces in my life. It has shaped my life, as I chose subjects and eventually my degree based on what decisions would get me closer to that. I decided what my degree was going to be when I was 10, as that was one of the ones that NASA recommended for future astronauts. Those decisions took me places, which made me who I am.


(c) NASA (source) Red filter by me: Mars!
Realistically, I know that I can't be a proper astronaut. I am too blind, too weak and my brain is too special to be chosen to be amongst the first crew to go to Mars. Although I do hope that the prices for space tourism go down, so I can go up too.
While being an astronaut might be out of my league, I have not given up on my dream, only adjusted it slightly. I work in Space. I might not be able to go up there, but my work can. I will help the space exploration from down here. I will strive to plan and design the manned space program to get us out there. When the astronauts ring home and tell us they have a problem, I want to be the one asking them what is the problem, and work to solve it.

I want to go to space. Like the hominids in Africa who stood up and walked the plains, I want to be there when we leave the planet and walk the stars.


Part of the 2009 ABC-along series