Never Stop

On This Day In History
NASA unveils its first space shuttle, the Enterprise

Quote Of The Day
"They used to say that if man were meant to fly then he would have wings. But he did fly. He discovered he had to. I don't believe we can stop. In fact, through all our existence, the frightened and the faint-hearted have been warning men not to push any further, not to learn any more, not to hope or grow and exceed themselves.


"I don't believe we can stop. I don't believe we're meant to. Do you wish the first Apollo mission hadn't reached the Moon? Or hadn't gone on to Mars or the nearest star? That's like saying you wish you still operated with scalpels or sewed your patients up with catgut like your great, great, great, great grandfather used to.


"I'm in command. I could order this. But I'm not. Because Dr. McCoy is right in pointing out the enormous danger potential in any contact with life and intelligence as fantastically advanced as this. But I must point out that the possibilities, the potential for knowledge and advancement is equally great.


"Risk. Risk is our business. That's what this starship is all about. That's why we're aboard her."  
(Captain James T. Kirk, Star Trek )

I remember that day, watching the Enterprise being revealed for the first time, and being dropped from the modified Boeing 747 airliner. I also remember watching this, Gene Roddenberry and the cast of Star Trek in attendance at the unveiling. What a day!

I was delighted to discover yesterday an extended version of one of Captain Kirk's greatest speeches. 

"Risk is our business!"