Wish someone well with a four letter word, as they begin an historic journey.
Fifty years ago today, Scott Carpenter bade "Godspeed, John Glenn" as his friend lifted off on the third manned mission in America's Mercury space project. Glenn, in his Friendship 7 capsule, was on his way to become the first American to orbit the Earth.
It was, indeed, a good trip. Despite weather conditions underneath that prevented some research experiments from being conducted, and several technical problems that threatened disaster, Glenn was witness to things we largely take for granted now - through his periscope, he watched storms over sea and land, and cities lit brightly to welcome him.
There are many steps that are taken on any journey. From the three orbits conducted 50 years ago, we now have a space station that has completed over 60 thousand orbits. From one man who dared to achieve orbit, we had 12 men set foot on the moon, and hundreds of men and women who have been to space.
Best wishes on journeys of your own.
My trips aren't usually so epic (4lw) - but I do have to find parking for jury duty (24lw) in a strange to me city this week, with lots of one way streets.
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