Imagination

In today's world of prefab fun and computer-generated imagery, sometimes it feels as though our imaginations are withering away from lack of use. This is a sad turn of events, since all the greatest achievements in the world began with someone who was able to imagine something bigger, better, faster, or stronger.

Let's face it, it took a lot of imagination to envision and create the technology that eventually took us to the Moon. At LAUNCH, we are fortunate to meet and work with wildly imaginative people throughout the space industry. We are inspired by everyone from the new generation of space entrepreneurs—Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and Peter Diamandis, among others—to our readers, many of whom are passionate about rocketry in all its forms.

Recently, inspiration appeared in the LAUNCH offices in the form of a 7-year-old boy named Connor, and his Dad and younger sister, Caitlin.

Last year I received a letter from James Chung, who asked if it was possible to set up a subscription in the name of his then 6-year-old son, Connor. Connor, his father explained, is obsessed with space and has started his own company, called Chung Airways Intergalactic. A few weeks ago, I received the following letter from Mr. Chung:

You were kind enough to respond to an e-mail from me to help get the subscription set up for my seven-year-old son who runs his own space company. Whenever the magazine arrives, he grabs it, shouts 'Oh boy, LAUNCH is here.' On the days when there's not a new issue, he keeps himself occupied by diagramming one of his spacecraft for Chung Airways Intergalactic, or writing a chapter in his series on the universe. he's now beyond our solar system and writing about the exo-planets his fleet has discovered.

Is there any chance that he could drop by the office for 10 minutes to see how the magazine comes together? I realize that editorial offices don't look much different than most other offices, but if it's possible, he'd love it.

Thanks for creating a publication that matches his imagination!

We had a great visit with Connor and his sister Caitlin—they are both excited about space and rockets. We hope that LAUNCH continues to inspire these two children and others like them. Our mission is to educate people about space—what we did and are continuing to do out there, what we have already gained, and what the potential is.

The future of space exploration depends on kids like Connor and Caitlin. Capture their interest early, and you may be inspiring the next Neil Armstrong. This is why LAUNCH is a strong supporter of the Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC), held every May in The Plains, Virginia. TARC brings kids together from all over the country to participate in the largest rocketry competition in the united States. Over 7,000 kids enter the contest, and about 700 make it to the finals in Virginia. It's an exciting event for everyone, especially for the teams that have worked so hard to make it to the finals.

Space exploration is a great adventure, one that holds tremendous promise for mankind. Advancements in science, engineering, physics, medicine, and communications will continue to be made as a result of this great endeavor. But what lies beyond our universe will remain a mystery without the greatest of all gifts: imagination. As Willy Wonka once said, 'We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.'

Dream on!

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