Discovery is Home

I watched with great joy and relief as Space Shuttle Discovery landed in southern California. Commander Eileen Collins performed a beautiful landing lightly touching down Discovery at 7:10 CDT.

As Discovery glided through the atmosphere, infrared cameras captured the outline of the shuttle as it emerged from its burning-reentry. I watched in amazement the white outline of the very hot underside of Discovery. Commander Eileen Collins performed a series of S-manuevers to slow the velocity of Discovery. As Discovery banked the last time and lined up with the runway, the tip of the nose cone was a white dot indicating its hot encounter with the atmosphere.

As I watched the landing gear deploy and Discovery touching down, I lifted a prayer of thanksgiving that the 7-member crew arrived safe and sound. I heard the NASA announcer say, "Discovery is home."

Coming home is a wonderful experience. Feelings of joy swim in the heart with anticipation of seeing family and loved ones. For the crew of Discovery, I suspect coming home took on new meaning especially in the shadow of Columbia's catastrophic trip home two and a half years ago.

I believe God has blessed us with the intellect and innovation of technology. When we use this new technology in ways like space exploration, we help to improve humankind.

We have greatly benefited from space exploration. Perhaps the greatest and most unlikely discovery to come from space exploration is how we have learned to work together. Together, many different nations built a space station. We put away our differences and came together to study, to learn and to innovate so that we could explore Earth from the fringes of our atmosphere. In and through that exploration, we endeavor to help humankind. Nations who once were enemies now share living quarters in Earth's orbit.

Let us thank God for the safe return of the Discovery crew. Let us prayerfully remember the crew of Columbia and all men and women who sacrificed to advance our technology that we might improve life on Planet Earth.