I remember as a youngster in 1957, standing outside our house after dark with my brother, parents, grandparents and staring at the October sky for a glimpse of Sputnik, the newly launched Russian satellite.  We watched as its dim yet visible light crossed the sky in what seemed a slow-moving arc.  It was near the beginning of the Cold War and I had a feeling of both awe and fear as I watched it disappear from view.

Tonight, courtesy of NASA and MSNBC, I watched the launch of a Soyuz rocket from the comfort of my home via my own personal computer.  Three astronauts. bound for the International Space Station, rocketed from the Baikonur Comodrome located in Kazakstan.  Only one of the astronauts was Russian, the other two American and Brazilian.  The launch went off without a hitch, the vehicle traveling at more than 15,000 mph after only ten minutes, or so.

As I watched tonight’s launch, I felt no less awe than I did as an impressionable eleven-year old.  Gone, however, was the fear I vividly remember feeling, replaced now by pride and hope for an even better future.  http://www.ericwilder.com  http://energyissues.blogharbor.com