posted 01-10-2006 09:44 PM               

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The journey that brought me to this point in my career began over 50 years ago when, as a five year old child, I received from my mother a copy of A Child's Book of Stars, by Sy Barlowe. Although just about everything in this book is now known to be wrong, at the time it absolutely enthralled me, and despite the fact that this was several years prior to the launch of Sputnik, from then on I never really considered anything other than a space career. I must admit, however, that at various times I had difficulty deciding whether to be a physicist, mathematician, astronomer, or an engineer. In retrospect, I doubt it would have made much difference. We need all of these folks, and many more, in the space business today. But to put a finishing touch on this story, last year the crew members of the Space Shuttle Discovery STS-114 mission did me the great honor of taking my copy of that book - moth eaten and beaten up as it was - onboard their flight. It is now framed and hanging in a wall display in my office, along with photos from the mission.

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