There was something incredibly fitting about SpaceX and Elon Musk achieving the greatest advancement in space travel in decades on Columbus Day weekend.
On Sunday morning, the company that is pushing the boundaries of possible space flight successfully caught its Super Heavy booster out of the air, roughly seven minutes after the rocket had lifted off from the company’s launchpad in Texas. It was the first time that a rocket of that size had returned to the Earth’s surface with the possibility of being reused, as well as the first time that a rocket of any size had been caught out of the air.
Extraordinary achievements such as this one used to be commonplace in the United States. After all, ours is the nation that put a man on the moon, broke the sound barrier, flew the first airplane, and marched westward to settle the unknown frontier.
Embarking on adventures into the unknown, with all the life-threatening outcomes that come with it, is the very spirit that Musk and SpaceX embody. It is the same spirit of adventure and exploration that inspired Christopher Columbus to sail thousands of miles from Spain across a vast unexplored ocean with the belief that land would be on the other side, even if that land did not prove to be the one he expected to find.
The relentless aspiration to reach unachieved heights is part of what made Western civilization the dominant culture force in the world, an aspiration grounded less in personal glory but in service of God and country.
Columbus embarked on his voyage across the unknown Atlantic Ocean in service of his monarchs, King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. For him, the voyage was hardly about himself, and as much as it was an act of exploration, it was more so an act of service to his king and queen and the people they governed. And it was one that came with great risk to his personal reputation and physical well-being.
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Musk is no different. He has repeatedly stated that his goal is to return humanity to the moon and then journey on to Mars, establishing permanent presences on both celestial bodies. And while his reputation and financial position will certainly benefit from such an achievement, it is clear his primary motivation is the betterment of humanity. And he is pursuing it at the risk of his own financial well-being and reputation.
There was a time when great achievements by brave men captured the imagination of millions. When a ship returning from a dangerous voyage was greeted with a cheering crowd, or a rocket lifting up to space was admired with cheers and awe at man’s capabilities. Watching the video of that rocket fall down to Earth, steady itself, and then return to its launch tower was to be a part of one of the most awesome achievements mankind has ever made and is another step toward ensuring that SpaceX and Musk are remembered as giants of history for generations, just like Columbus.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
