I slowly realized that I loved space science and exploration......

Darlene Shamsid-Deen

December 18, 2012

I am absolutely thrilled and excited by the knowledge and discoveries of space science and the possibilities of space exploration, but that passion built over time. First, I think, was the original Star Trek series. I liked to read science fiction casually and for fun as a teenager, and school trips to the Hayden Planetarium were always something I enjoyed, but that series made me see and think about space differently.....it simply captivated my imagination, and I instantly became a Trekkie. Then, the moon landing .... which occurred simultaneously with the tumult of the Civil Rights movement in the 60's and 70's... This event made me think harder about who or what may really be "out there" and the implications of "first contact"... How would our society treat "them" compared to the treatment of darker-skinned humans at that time right here on THIS planet? I wanted to be part of the discovery of extra-terrestrial life if it happened in my lifetime. Next, the "Cosmos" series by Carl Sagan in 1980....not only did the wonders of that series captivate me, it awakened the interest of my husband, who hadn't really thought about the wonders of the universe in any depth until we watched that series together! And today, Neil deGrasse Tyson, the Planetary Society, and others continue to feed my interest and excitement! Keep up the great work!