REACHING THE HEAVENS

Though it is not evident to everyone, we are all explorers of space, moving with the Earth on a continuous journey within our galaxy in the universe. For a for­tunate few in recent years, that journey in space has become very personal as they have left Earth for a short time, paving the way for longer and even farther jour­neys to the planets and beyond. It can be a privilege to witness defining eras of history and that is certainly true of following the first human steps towards the stars. Though we will never witness those journeys in our Ufetime, we have wit­nessed the start of that adventure, and that is rewarding in itself. Half a century into that journey, there have been countless reviews of our progress in space exploration; what has been achieved to date, how this experience can be useful in understanding where we wish to focus future directions, and why those decisions are made. Part of this decision making is to look back at the rich heritage of today’s truly international manned space program.