Happy Holidays in the OLC

By Ricky Tran, The Golden Ratios

 (Note: Ricky penned this on Dec. 20, but it got caught in the holidays and is just now being posted. While some parts may be dated, it offers a good assesment of the past year. JG)

As we are coming into the winter break, we can see Christmas in the distance, and the thought of no school and sleeping in without worry for 2-3 weeks. So what is happening now? Well, apparently, the end of the world is coming up (although evidence shows that there is no way that there would be an end of the world) and people are spending their money to protect and prepare themselves for the apocalypse. Also, the holiday shopping season is nearly upon us, so prepare to expect a disease of empty wallets during the next few weeks. As we come up to the end of 2012, we look back at the shining moments in 2012 that NASA has accomplished and will improve on for 2013. The reign of the Space Shuttle was finally come to an end, and rests in the year 2012 in special locations across America. I will be fond of the Space Shuttle Endeavour because The OLC members that went to the Unconference in Florida got to stand under the Space Shuttle, and I was there!!! We have finally also landed a rover on Mars, and begin yet another exploration mission in the name of NASA and science. We also regret the passing of Neil Armstrong and the people that he has inspired throughout his lifetime, and I salute him for being a man who has been to the Moon and back and lived to tell the tale for many years to come. We also expect NASA commercialization with companies such as Flight Galactic and SpaceX, who was sent the first privately owned and commercial rocket to the ISS and proved that they have the power to do the same good job as NASA had always done. Companies like SpaceX are paving the way for privately owned Space Programs and begin the new path for international spaceflight and exploration for many years to come. So when Christmas is near, you can remind yourself of the live chat that we recently had about Santa is his arsenal of gadgets and technology that will keep on baffling the world for millennia to come, unless the end date is true, then I bid you all a good farewell.