The home of robotic space inspection is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, which monitors all Nasa interplanetary missions. JPL also monitors Earth-threatening asteroids, operates satellites that monitor our climate and oceans, and measures ice thickness at the poles.
It was during one of these missions that a JPL engineer named Gael Squibb traveled to England in the 1980s. He stayed at my parents’ B&B in Windsor, having escaped from a horrible hotel in Slough, and quickly became a good friend to the family.
He later visited with mission stickers, posters and stories of remarkable technical achievements. Once while on assignment in California, Gael arranged for me to visit JPL in Pasadena. JPL doesn’t have a smart visitor center, but it does host a full replica of two Voyager space explorations, launched in 1977 to explore the outer planets.
The Voyager spacecraft captured my imagination: my favorite childhood book was full of pictures from their flight of the circular planet Saturn; and, at the age of six, I was allowed to stay up late to see a program about Voyager 2 arriving in Neptune. In 2012, Voyager was the first thing humans did to enter an intersex space, and it is now 14 billion miles from Earth.
Following these strong spaceships, I felt like I traveled with them. It didn’t matter that I didn’t visit Jupiter or Neptune in person, because the images and stories were so vibrant and compelling. Astronomy developed my sense of adventure, and I share that passion with anyone who listens.
On a recent Army Reserve training exercise, I used a pair of binoculars to expose the Galilean branches to the training warrant officer. He couldn’t believe what he saw – a real glimpse of light, revealed as a whole system of worlds – and, the next evening, he borrowed my binoculars to show the same thing to one of the color sergeants. Motivation is contagious, and it’s no surprise getting old.
When it is a clear night, you will find me looking up at the changing skies. This week, I’m fascinated by the “good combination” of Jupiter and Saturn, as a trick of orbital mechanics caused them to rub in position.
I may not visit these planets in person, but I never get tired of enjoying them from long ago. This year, I had to do the same for my own world. Instead of jumping on planes and trains, I am buried in travel books and documentaries. I won’t admit that I prefer it, but vicarious travel offers something special because it makes me see the world through someone else’s eyes.
Of course, I return to travel when I can, but I love my interest in distance viewing. Over the past few months, I’ve been saving up to buy a telescope for myself. That way, I can drag these planets a little closer, and be transported to those worlds of wonder and potential.