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And Galileo smiled — last mission of Endeavour space shuttle completed today
How times change! Today, while reading about the space shuttle Endeavour, whose final mission ended this morning, I came across this photo (at right). It shows the first call ever made by a pope to outer space. During the call, on May 21, Pope Benedict spoke to the crew of the Endeavour, which included two Italians. The pope applauded their dedication and courage.
Elsewhere in the heavens, I imagine Galileo smiling. 
Sure, the 17th century was a long time ago, and Galileo has probably let bygones be bygones. Besides, the idea that the earth revolves around the sun has long ceased to be controversial. And our understanding of how to interpret the bible has changed a lot, so we look at verses like Psalm 104: 5, “You fixed the earth on its foundation, never to be moved” very differently than did people hundreds of years ago.
I’m encouraged by the photo! It reminds me that our Catholic Christian tradition is a living tradition, in conversation with the world around us, however delayed or timely that conversation might be.
Pope’s call to space: AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Nathan Lindstrom
Endeavour space shuttle: photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls
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Very cool! My Dad worked for NASA back in the 60s. The last mission he had a “package” on was Apollo 8. His team was working on Apollo 10 at the time of his death in 1969. He would have loved this!
BTW, a good read is “Galileo’s Daughter,” by Dava Sobel. It drags in spots, but the ending is definitely worth it. Tons of research. Puts Galileo and his work in a very understandable social/historical context. His elder daughter was a nun, BTW. And all his children were illegitimate.
Wow, Marg! Did you ever get to go to NASA where your dad worked?
Yes, but it was only over in Cambridge, Mass, at the Tech Square office. Dad was an “instrumentation and calibration specialist.” This meant he and his group were responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the instruments used for getting the rockets where they were supposed to go…and back again. Not much to see but a bunch of instruments and rooms full of computers doing calculations out to 23 places beyond the decimal point! He talked more about the vision than about the specifics, as you might imagine.
He was the one who first planted the idea of being a tech writer in my mind, saying, “We really need people who can understand the technology and explain it.” Of course, in my adolescent mind, I rejected it completely. I wanted to be a photographic chemist. I eventually went into computer systems programming and backed into tech writing. And I still follow all the NASA launches.