To Space and Beyond

Remember when…. so many years ago when we as a country sent men off in spacecraft to explore space and then the moon. Each new liftoff and touchdown had us all glued to the TV to see and hear these historic events.  Going to space and then to the moon seemed like amazing feats – it was hard to imagine it possible.

As the years have gone by it seems that NASA expeditions have continued with much less fanfare and yet they continue to explore.  This week NASA ended an expedition that has been underway for 20 years and probably few of us really knew it was happening.

In 1997 the Cassini spacecraft was launched on a 13 year mission.  Its mission was to explore the strange world of Saturn.  It went on nearly a decade longer than planned. It completed 293 orbits of the planet, snapped 400,000 photos, collected 600 gigabytes of data, discovered at least seven new moons, descended into the famed rings and sent its Huygens lander to a successful 2005 touchdown on the surface of yet another moon, Titan.

In a week of mega storms, wild fires in the west and worrying politics around the world this is a story of exploration, new discoveries and hope.  Please take the time to click HERE for the National Public Radio article at npr.org and view some of the spectacular photos of Saturn and it’s moons, sent to us from Cassini.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.    -Archimedes

PREPAREDNESS ACTIVITY:  (This week starts a week by week shopping list to prepare a 3 day disaster supply kit for your house.  Each week place the new items in your bag or bucket and in 12 weeks you will have a well supplied kit)

Week One:

Purchase: 1 gallon water, one large can of juice, one can of meat and a hand operated can opener.

Action Steps: 

1. Date perishable items with permanent marking pen.
2. Decide upon and notify an out-of-area contact who you can notify of your status in an emergency.

WEATHER:  Fall is here!  Rain is in the forecast and cooler days and nights are upon us.  Enjoy!