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.