Virgin Galactic - "Not because it is easy...but because it is hard"

"Not because it is easy - but because it is hard"...

If you are not familiar with those wonderful words - it is a magical moment in the famous JFK Rice speech...

It was truly prescient of the Apollo missions that followed - and still rings true today for all space exploration - in particular the Virgin Galactic enterprise.

I was therefore delighted to see the recent update that things are progressing well with it all, and that Sir Richard Branson & Co's decade long quest is ever closer to fulfilment (since 2004 actually)

Here's a nice summary of some of that...

I tried to articulate an admiration for it all last summer when I had the privilege to meet many of the astronauts-in-waiting (together with my EV pal Gisli Gislason) at a gathering in the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside.

As a child of the 60's, finding myself in the company of people  working in the field of space flight was like being in Dreamland for a few special sunny hours.

These are the sort of individuals that JFK alluded to in his epic speech. 

The sort of people that know how to build a team and bind them in a common goal. It helps to have an individual at the helm I guess that has spent several decades doing that all over the world - over and over again.

So, as I knew I might be tongue-tied by the occasion - I wrote a poem - and Gisli sneekily captured a snippet on his mobile phone...

Ode To Virgin Galactic 

They say honesty is the best policy - Well, just look what that necklace bought…

Transatlantic Jumbo Jets and an Icelandic Astronaut

I wonder when at Stowe School if Richard often looked up at the Moon

And dreamt of building rocket ships… and a Mo-Fo Hot Air Balloon!

JFK said we set sail on a sea of new knowledge to be gained

To seek out that final frontier – and discover the unexplained…

Well, just a handful of hundreds have traveled…

Way up to that place called space

To witness the glorious majesty

The only home of the human race

Burt Rutan was the genius architect – the conjurer of dreams

Don’t ask me how he did it – it must have been frickin laser beams!

He made Magic in Mojave – for sure the real desert storm!

Turning vision into reality - making sure it will all perform

But not without some moments when the light has turned to dark

The simple fact is space flight can be catastrophically stark

But onward we must travel – to far horizons cast our eye

The Ascent of Man a journey  - stand tall and touch the sky

So as you rest your heads tonight my friends…

May you dream of taking flight

Of looking down upon our pale blue dot

Suspended in a sunbeam of light…

Out of this world ambition abounds these days it seems - from both empire and entrepreneur. The unintended consequences of a rapidly growing human population need grand ambition such as Virgin Galactic to push the boundaries of science and technology.

Whilst much of the proposition appears to be the preserve of the rich and famous - as with Formula 1 and Luxury cars - these individuals fund the breakthrough work that will ultimately benefit us all. 

One lucky person has even been given a free ticket!...you might recognise him!

Mr Branson regular writes about both success and failure and how we all share a common experience on our journey through life.

The Virgin Galactic ambition perhaps exemplifies better than anything else how the path to success is rarely easy...

I think the final words on it all should come from a man who's overcome monumental challenge to be one of the greatest people on earth...

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