In ancient times, when man discovered the saw and axe, and using these tools, was able to fashion a wheel from wood, this was considered the ultimate in human progress. History showed, however, that it was just the beginning. When the industrial revolution ushered in the technological age, man started to fashion hard metals into new and wondrous forms. Once again it was thought that this was as far as he could go.
But it was not. The coming of the space age showed that there is a higher degree of perfection, made possible by space technology, which had previously eluded man. In the industrial age, for instance, goods were manufactured on earth. The pollution and density of the earth’s atmosphere, however, was not conducive to the production of certain goods, such as highly sensitive medicines. Now, with what Dr James Beggs, administrator of NASA, calls the ‘extraordinary success’ of the US space shuttle experiments, plans are afoot for ‘space manufacturing’ or putting factories into orbit.
There appears to be no limit to the progress which man can achieve in this world; whenever one stage is reached, another lies in wait.
Comments