When Voyager 1 launched on September 5, 1977, it embarked on a mission to the outer edges of our mysterious Solar System. While on its way to interstellar space, this incredible piece of machinery took some of the most iconic images known to humankind. One such image consisted of our planet Earth, as seen from a distant Saturn’s orbit. This picture inspired the following commentary from a deeply moved Carl Sagan:

“Look again at that dot. That’s here. That’s home. That’s us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. …

Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. …

It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”

From an anthropological perspective, what space exploration did for humanity is immeasurable by all accounts. Up until the 20th century, civilizations looked up to the skies to uncover the essence that preceded their existence (as Jean-Paul Sartre would have argued).

Everything changed once we developed the technology to look down on our planet from the cosmos. The “Blue Marble” shot taken by the Apollo 17 crew on December 7, 1972 was the first time humans actually saw the world in its entirety: A wet rock floating independently within a dark vacuum. It’s argued that the first few images of Earth from space inspired an entire generation to champion the modern environmental movement, among other things.

Today, there is new technology to be excited about. This technology will let humanity add a new perspective through which to marvel our planet. Vancouver based technology startup UrtheCast launched two cameras into space recently, both of which have successfully docked with the International Space Station. The company will distribute operational software that will let members of the public access and operate these high-definition cameras from their homes. Why? To examine places or events happening here on Earth, of course!

Just imagine being able to zoom into any part of the world from space to experience a war as it happens. Or how about tracking the Great Migration of Wildebeest and Zebra in Africa? If the “Blue Marble” shot can fuel a global environmental movement, imagine what the UrtheCast cameras will inspire.

If only Carl Sagan was around to enjoy the new view, and say something poetic about it.

- Qasim