Manwillneverconquerspace.
Suchastatementmaysoundabsurd,afterwehavemadesuchlongstridesintospace.
Yetitexpressesatruththatourforefathersknewandwehaveforgotten,onethatourdescendantsmustlearnagain,inheartbreakandloneliness.
Ourageisinmanywaysunique,fullofphenomenathatneveroccurredbeforeandmaynevercomeagain.
Theydistortourthinking,makingusbelievethatwhatistruenowwillbetrueforever,thoughperhapsonalargerscale.
Becausewehaveannihilateddistanceonthisplanet,weimaginethatwecandothesameinspace.
Thetruthisotherwise,andwewillseeitmoreclearlyifweforgetthepresentandturnourmindstowardthepast.
Toourancestors,thevastnessoftheearthwasadominantfactorintheirthoughtsandlives.
Nomancouldeverseemorethanatinyfractionoftheearth.
Onlyalifetimeago,parentswavedfarewelltotheiremigratingchildren,knowingtheywouldneverseethemagain.
Now,withinoneincrediblegeneration,allthishaschanged.
Psychologicallyaswellasphysically,therearenolongeranyremoteplacesonearth.
Whenafriendleavesforwhatwasonceadistantcountry,hecannotfeelthesamesenseofirrevocableseparationthatsaddenedourforefathers.
Weknowthatheisonlyhoursawaybyair,andwehavemerelytoreachforthetelephonetohearhisvoice.
Whenthesatellitecommunicationnetworkisfullyestablished,itwillbeaseasytoseefriendsonthefarsideoftheearthastotalktothemontheothersideofthetown.
Thentheworldwillshrinknomore.
Fromaworldthathasbecometoosmall,wearemovingoutintoonethatwillbeforevertoolarge,whosefrontierswillrecedefromusalwaysmoreswiftlythanwecanreachouttowardthem.