A new space era

These days it takes a lot for me to be inspired by a newspaper headline. I generally sit down with a paper and scowl at the pages as they go by. I can't believe that it's only mid-June and there is already a tiring barrage of news from the Bush-Kerry election trail. Even more dismaying is the media hype surrounding the release of Bill Clinton's autobiography, "My Life." \nI find it sad that these petty, pathetic talking heads are whom we are supposed to look to for hope, inspiration and leadership.\nHowever, I discovered something this week that I actually found inspiring. The flight of SpaceShipOne may not have been anything particularly moving for most of the world, but in my house I couldn't help but feel excited. \nTo those who haven't heard, SpaceShipOne is one of 26 ships competing for the X-Prize, a $10 million payoff from a foundation out of St. Louis. The competition's aim is to allow civilians to travel in space without having to go through a massive government agency. According to competition rules, an independently funded, three-seat spacecraft must make it into space (100 km above the surface) twice within two weeks.\nThis week, Mike Melvill took SpaceShipOne on a historic flight into space and back without the backing of any government agency. The company behind the ship's existence is Scaled Composites, a company owned by space visionary, Burt Rutan. The project cost more than $20 million but may propel Rutan and Melvill into the history books. \nThe story of a competition prompting innovation is an old story. The most direct example, the Orteig prize, was the goal of Charles Lindbergh as he performed the first solo flight across the Atlantic. The accomplishment was an inspiration to those around the world. Lindberg said, "To me, it was like a match lighting a bonfire."\nIt's a shame that in our current society the same kind of heroics no longer inspire national awe. It may be that space doesn't seem quite so large anymore. Could it be that America only can see the final frontier as a depository for satellites, something we use to get better TV reception but never really travel to?\nTraveling to the moon used to be something that Americans could be proud of. I found it only fitting that Buzz Aldrin watched SpaceShipOne's journey into space with the Scaled Composites crew. It was one generation of groundbreakers and explorers handing the torch to another generation.\nI can only hope that my generation can take up the spirit of exploration and make it our own. With technology progressing at an alarming rate, we may find ourselves with the ability to stick our feet into space within the next 20 years. It took years for Lindburgh's extraordinary feat to enter mainstream life, but by 1976 you could hop a Concorde and make the flight to Europe in about three hours.\nTraveling into space is a difficult task that is growing easier by the day. It is becoming more and more evident that the barriers keeping us from exploration are there to be broken. Perhaps this is the "new age of space travel" that SpaceShipOne is supposed to usher in. \nIt's strange to think that this new age of exploration and pioneering doesn't have to occur centuries in the future. The stage for a new space age is set now, and it's potential may be fully realized before the end of our youngest generation's lifetime. \nThree cheers for a new era of exploration! May SpaceShipOne's historic flight help inspire more people to have hope for the future.