From curiosity to Curiosity

Paolo Marelli

December 10, 2012

I was eight in July 1975. My black and white television was talking about “two spacecrafts from different countries” that were orbiting linked together. I remember flickering images showing two men floating into the spacecraft shaking their hands. I was really impressed and an uncontrollable curiosity pushed me to know more: so I learnt that the two spacecrafts came from United States and Soviet Union and their names were Apollo and Soyuz. This is the beginning of my passion for space. Many years have passed. My child curiosity forced me to study every aspect of the race to the Moon and, later, to live with enthusiasm the Space Shuttle era. Now I am an engineer and my job is related to the management requirements the aerospace industries are expected to meet. The passion is unchanged and my curiosity is now focused on Curiosity; looking at Mars I am convinced that each discovery regarding new worlds, environments and physical laws will allow to better know us and our blue planet.