5 minute read
The Astronaut Journey to Space
Dr. Dave Williams, Canadian Astronaut
There is no greater opportunity to contemplate globalization and planetary change than the view of the International Space Station. Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the ISS has been home in space for over 266 visitors from 20 different countries. Travelling 25 times the speed of sound, the Station orbits the Earth every ninety minutes, giving astronauts frequent opportunities to glimpse the planet’s beauty. The spectacular view defies description.
The simplest description of the impact of seeing the Earth from space is that it provides an overview effect, leaving a broader planetary perspective in those lucky enough to have witnessed it firsthand. Many think of this as something new, yet 55 years ago, on December 24th, 1968, the Apollo 8 crew first shared images of the Earth rising above the lunar surface. It happened a few minutes after 11:30 am (ET) when the spacecraft was coming around from the far side of the Moon. Looking out the side window of the command module, astronaut Bill Anders commented, “Look at that picture over there! The Earth is coming up. Wow, is that pretty!”
For the astronauts, the unexpected Earthrise was one of the mission highlights, and Ander’s many photos became iconic images of the 20th century. I was fourteen at the time and, to this day, recall watching the live coverage of the mission. It was incredible! Little did I realize that one day, I would become an astronaut who would fly into space twice and perform three spacewalks helping build the ISS.
In a decade of change, the Apollo 8 photos captured the essence of the term “global village,” a concept proposed at the time by Canadian media theorist Marshall McLuhan. He suggested that all parts of the world were being brought together through shared telecommunication, creating interconnections between people everywhere. Today, the power of sharing stories, thoughts and ideas through social media is changing our planet in many ways. Using social media to share images of the Earth from space has helped share the planetary perspective.
I have been fortunate to have lived and worked in outer and inner space, the undersea world that makes up roughly 70% of our planet. Those experiences helped me understand the role that humans play in shaping the future of our planet and the opportunities that can arise from working together for the betterment of our global village. The magic of seeing the Earth from space on my first spaceflight was a life-changing experience. The spectacular beauty of the oceans, forests, mountains, and deserts provided an everchanging vista that was a mesmerizing experience. However, on my second spaceflight, I felt the planetary perspective's profound impact.
Of the roughly 625 people who have travelled in space, less than half have been outside their spacecraft on a spacewalk. It is a sobering moment when the airlock is depressurized to the vacuum of space, and one realizes that survival depends on the unique combination of technology and human frailty. Spacewalking has been described as the ultimate team sport, with many experts in mission control available to help the two astronauts succeed in their objectives. Yet for those outside, if something bad happens, it is understood that you might have the rest of your life to solve the problem. It is an environment intolerant of error but striking in its beauty. I was fortunate to spend 17 hours and forty-seven minutes in its harsh embrace while performing three spacewalks on my visit to the space station that was part of the Space Shuttle mission STS-118.
The mission’s second spacewalk focused on replacing one of the four space station gyroscopes that help stabilize the station as it orbits the Earth. My spacewalking colleague Rick Mastracchio and I would follow a carefully choreographed timeline to complete the task, during which I would spend the majority of my time riding the robotic Canadarm, transferring the new and old gyroscopes to and from the worksite. Perched on the end of this icon of space technology, the ride was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The following excerpt from my memoire “Defying Limits Lessons From the Edge of the Universe” captures the moment.
“I will never forget the amazing epiphany of looking down and seeing our 4.5-billion-year-old planet, a beautiful blue oasis, cast against the endless black expanse of outer space. There it was: my home, home to us all. The entire history of humanity had taken place on the planet beneath me. Minus my crewmates, everyone I cared about was down there. Everything that had ever happened to me had taken place there. From my distant vantage point, there were no boundaries evident, no divisions between countries, only majestic continents surrounded by deep blue oceans.” At that moment, I embraced the planetary perspective and experienced a sense of interconnectedness with humans everywhere.
Many in the Traveler’s Century Club share that sense of interconnectedness, whose more than 1500 members have visited one hundred or more territories of the world. The myriad experiences associated with such trips provide insights into the different cultures, languages, history, and diversity that represent the human experience. It is a source of inspiration for both growth and self-fulfillment, as well as creating shared experiences with others that last a lifetime. For the author, after travelling 18,489,253 km to see the planet from a distance, it is now time to try to visit another 72 countries or territories to become a TCC member. Whether I make the destination or not, the journey will be an incredible experience!
Dave Williams OC OOnt MSc MD CM CCFP FCFP FRCPC FRCP FRCGS LLD (Hon) DSc (Hon) Canadian Astronaut
March 28th, 2023.
