Don’t Be Afraid to Take a Chance
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If I wasn’t going to go to space as an astronaut, I was going to pave
my own way to the skies.
Ever since I was a little boy, I have dreamed of building
space ships and becoming an astronaut. Inspired by the
great explorers of the early days of NASA, who landed on the
moon, and by watching fantastic science fiction movies like
the Star Wars trilogy, I imagined that one day I too could explore
the universe. My fascination with space grew throughout
my school years because I realized how important it was
for the future of humanity to continue exploring space. My
favorite class was astronomy, and in elementary school I
even built a huge model of the solar system out of wood with
little colored planets, which is still on proud display at my
parents’ house. I also read many great books about space
exploration by such authors as Robert Heinlein and Isaac
Asimov. My first space book, Cosmos, by Carl Sagan, I read in
third grade—it was a little difficult but I read every page and
enjoyed it very much!
While in high school, I visited the Kennedy Space Center
with my family and up to that point, it was one of my life’s
greatest adventures. Later, I visited the National Air and
Space Museum in Washington, DC—another great adventure.
I appreciated very much that both my parents were supportive
of my passion and interest in space and encouraged that
I pursue a degree in space technology. I got accepted at the
University of Virginia, where I began study in Aerospace Engineering.
I also founded the Space Advancement Society,
Source: Printed with permission by Eric Anderson, President &
CEO of Space Adventures.
which is the Virginia chapter for the Students for Exploration
and Development and Space (SEDS) and which allowed me to
meet many new friends also interested in space exploration.
Also while at the University of Virginia, I had some excellent
summer jobs. In my first, I worked at the National Radio
Astronomy Observatory studying deep-space galaxies with
famous astronomers. I got to travel to the largest telescope
in the world, the VLA in Socorro, New Mexico. The next
summer, I was selected as the top student from Virginia to
enter the NASA Academy program. I learned a lot of leadership
skills, met some incredible people, and helped with space
shuttle experiments at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Summer.
In my last summer job, I worked for a foundation that
was offering a prize for the first space tourism vehicles to be
built—it was called the X Prize! I continued to maintain close
contact and friendships with the people I met in those summer
jobs for the rest of my life.
After graduation, I decided not to apply to the NASA astronaut
corps because I had imperfect vision, a major impediment
to an aspiring astronaut. Although my long-time dream
of becoming a professional astronaut would not come to be,
I knew I had to seek alternatives to make a positive out of my
dream. In 1997, fresh out of college and filled with enthusiasm,
I decided to start a space tourism company with the
help of travel and aerospace experts such as Buzz Aldrin and
other astronauts. If I wasn’t going to go to space as an astronaut,
I was going to pave my own way to the skies.
What I have now come to realize is that flying in space
with NASA is only one way to get into space, and it may even
be less exciting than being a private space explorer and pioneer.
In the commercial space industry, the possibilities are
endless, and they don’t depend on having perfect vision or the
ups and downs of government budgets. The mission of Space
Adventures, the company I am heading, is to open the space
frontier to regular people like you and me. We have already
had two clients fly to space, and both said it was the most rewarding,
inspiring, wonderful life-changing experience they
had ever had.
Today’s young generation will be able to travel to Earth’s
orbit, the moon, and beyond, because people continue to have
the vision and the courage to innovate. Never give up on your
dreams; there are always ways to achieve them. Just be creative
and don’t be afraid to take a chance in life!