A bit of bragging

I've been enjoying watching the latest shuttle mission for the last week. Thanks to an Internet feed of NASA TV, I've watched a lot of the activity in real-time. I'm particularly interested in the space walks, called EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activities), because my brother is on the EVA safety team. That's right, my brother is a rocket scientist [she said with pride, though she had nothing to do with it].

My bro is one of the people who tries to make sure that the astronauts are safe when they go on EVAs. It's a huge responsibility, and I have to tell you, my brother is one of the people you want doing that job. He works very well under pressure, is meticulous, is incredibly smart, and tells it like it is. If something isn't right or isn't ready, my brother would say so. He wouldn't worry that someone wouldn't want to hear it. And if he does something, it's done right. He's had a greater role of responsibility this mission, and he was very excited when the launch finally happened and it was his turn to go to work. My family has been equally excited for him, and we've followed everything closely.

Of course, we're all holding our breath until the astronauts return safely. There's no such thing as safe space travel, and in any human endeavor, there is the risk of error or accident. My brother wasn't with NASA when Columbia broke up, but he keeps a photo of the Columbia crew by his desk in his home office - always a reminder of the importance of what he does. And to those who think that space travel is some kind of vanity project that doesn't affect your life, consider the following items that are a direct result of NASA-originated technology:

cell phones
PDAs
CAT scanners
MRIs
kidney dialysis machines
freeze-dried food
water purification technology (including waste water and pool water)
scratch-resistant lenses
portable coolers/warmers
athletic shoes
Dustbusters
smoke detectors
flat-panel TVs
home security systems
Doppler radar

There's a whole lot more. This page will get you started if you're interested in knowing how NASA's research benefits the wider world. So, go put on your Nikes, grab a glass of Tang and go watch the latest Doppler radar weather report on your flat-panel TV. If you can't see, put on your glasses with the scratch-resistant lenses. Then thank NASA and the brave astronauts who risk their lives doing something dangerous, difficult and amazing.