I hope to someday die in outer space
The question “Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?” was the icebreaker at a recent team meeting.
As a Christian, it was tempting to give an answer like “I’ll call a meeting of all my children and grandchildren, bless them and afterwards die in my sleep”. As amazing as that it, nothing says I can’t bless my offsprings before hopping on a one way spaceship to Mars. This might sound very crazy, but let’s be honest, with the current emphasis on space colonisation, significant milestones in developing reusable launch systems and other space related technological advances (and if Elon Musk’s dream comes true), human beings could possibly be a multi-planetary species by the time I die.
Even if we aren’t multi-planetary (though the proponents of space colonisation think it’s a matter of survival for the human race), by the turn of the next century, space travel will be a lot cheaper than it is today, probably within the reach of everyday citizens. This opens up a lot of interesting possibilities for space travel, but why do I care?
I’ve always loved the outdoors and nature. I still have very fond memories of field trips during my time studying Remote Sensing/GIS and subsequently Environmental Control and Management as a postgraduate student. Riding on the back of a truck with a GPS in hand and spending days within the Old Oyo and Okomu National Parks in Nigeria as part of some research studies is one of such experiences that I’ll always cherish. I enjoyed learning about the flora and fauna and the fact that most of these areas are without proper cell phone reception means that you can fully take in the scenery and have clear thoughts without the distractions you’ll typically get in the city. It’s probably the introvert in me that’s speaking but there’s something about the serenity of the whole thing that’s hard to shake off.
Even more interesting is the fact that these field trips were often to acquire ground truth data to validate information that had been gotten from interpreting earth observation satellite imagery. The vantage point of these satellites mean that you can see very interesting features that would have been impossible to observe otherwise. I remember falling in love, for instance, with the unique vegetation of the Mambilla Plateau in Taraba state without actually ever being there while creating a land cover map for Southern Nigeria using visual interpretation of satellite imagery (that’s one place in Nigeria I really would love to visit, by the way). The distinct features of the Old Oyo National Park was also really interesting to study in relation to the surrounding communities.
Imagine if we could see these things with our own eyes from that vantage point. Imagine if we could also observe the other planets in our solar system a little closer. Astronauts who have experienced this change in perspective and the mental clarity that comes with it have described it as one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives. This phenomenon is know as The Overview Effect.
The closest I’ve had to this experience was recently while hiking up Mount Kipipiri in the Aberdare National Park, North of Nairobi, Kenya. It was hands down the best experience I’ve had in any outdoor setting till date and there were some really breathtaking views both at the peak and on the way up. Thanks to my colleague, Mercy Orangi, for inviting me and Bucketlist Adventures for organising the trip.
I, however, couldn’t help but imagine what the views would look like or what it would feel like if we could go a little higher. I’ll hopefully climb a few more mountains with much higher peaks in the near future. Maybe they’ll do a lot to satisfy this curiosity but I get the sense that the higher I go, the more I would love to see and experience. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing and maybe there’s so much more to see and experience. So, if I ever get the chance to hop on that spaceship, I’m packing my bags because I’ll never really know what I’ll find until I’m out there among the stars.
PS: The question at the start of the article comes from an article in the Modern Love section of the New York Times and features a series of questions that lead to love. The first question on that list says “Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?“. I’m guessing you all already know who that is (Hint: His company will be sending a Japanese billionaire and some artists to space #dearMoon).
