Rusty Schweickart
Rusty Schweickart
Russell Louis "Rusty" Schweickartis an American aeronautical engineer, and a former NASA astronaut, research scientist, U.S. Air Force fighter pilot, as well as a former business executive and government executive...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionAstronaut
Date of Birth25 October 1935
CountryUnited States of America
Rusty Schweickart quotes about
bodies challenges facing home humans journey learning life mars mean miles millions navigation orbit perfect sending solar support time traveling trip
Asteroids are deep-space bodies orbiting the Sun, not the Earth, and traveling to one would mean sending humans into solar orbit for the very first time. Facing those challenges of radiation, navigation and life support on a months-long trip millions of miles from home would be a perfect learning journey before a Mars trip.
letting-go mean views
So I just let go with one hand, and just sort of swung around, looked at the Earth below and the black space above and the sun over my shoulder. And, I mean, it was this incredible, spectacular view.
mean events alive
An asteroid can literally destroy 80 or 90 percent of the species that are alive on Earth. These are big events. I mean, this is called extinction.
art mean blue
You see the Earth as a bright blue and white Christmas tree ornament in the black sky. It's so small and so fragile - you realize that on that small spot is everything that means everything to you; all of history and art and death and birth and love.
art block mean
From the moon, the Earth is so small and so fragile, and such a precious little spot in that Universe, that you can block it out with your thumb. Then you realize that on that spot, that little blue and white thing, is everything that means anything to you — all of history and music and poetry and art and death and birth and love, tears, joy, games, all of it right there on that little spot that you can cover with your thumb. And you realize from that perspective that you’ve changed forever, that there is something new there, that the relationship is no longer what it was.
basic contribute evolution family science understand understanding
It is through science that we understand the world around us, and by understanding the world around us, we not only contribute to ourselves, our family, to our communities, etc. - you also contribute to the basic development and evolution of humanity.
assigned explicitly government planetary protection responsibility
No government in the world today has explicitly assigned the responsibility for planetary protection to any of its agencies.
access against deeper digging dragging fantastic instead materials planet
It is fantastic to think that one day we may be able to access fuel, materials and even water in space instead of digging deeper and deeper into our planet for what we need and then dragging it all up into orbit, against Earth's gravity.
asteroid hit last uncertain until
When you have an asteroid threatening Earth, it's uncertain where it's going to hit until the last minute; the decision to take action has to be coordinated by the international community.
ahead found good hundred likelihood nice orbit predict solid time whether
The nice thing about asteroids is that once you've found them, and once you have a good solid orbit on them, you can predict a hundred years ahead of time whether there is a likelihood of an impact with Earth.
kids millions
Landing on the moon was a dream that millions of kids have had for hundreds of years.
resources
All of us know today the value of communications satellites, weather satellites, resources satellites, etc.
century commercial developers embody former safe version
As a former Apollo astronaut, I think it's safe to say that SpaceX and the other commercial developers embody the 21st century version of the Apollo frontier spirit.
allow encourage hit invest nights people prevent worrying
I don't want people to spend their nights worrying about getting hit by asteroids. But I do want them to encourage their political leaders to invest in the insurance, which will allow us to prevent it from happening.