During my search of NewsEla, I stumbled across an article that caught my attention. I'll admit, I'm not a space buff. I have an interest in space exploration but often forget the names of the planets. I joke because I'd do a disservice to naming the planets and constellations but likely be the first to line up at the planetarium to watch a show on the night sky. It's a weird relationship but we co-exist and make it work.

I often wonder about the night sky and about our history of space exploration. The truth is, we know a lot and we are still learning. Space exploration has been going on for many, many years. It's truly remarkable the challenges overcome by the dedication and time of the individuals whom committed their life to the science of exploration. What makes this article so incredible is that we have gained enormous momentum in taking citizens into space. Who would have thought that Americans would continue to lead to the path in space exploration.

The NewsELA article brings to the readers, incredible information related to exploration and the possibilities that lie ahead. During our classroom talks, we took some time to talk about space and explore some the of the early pioneers of astronomy. It all began with a little curiosity and perhaps some gifted sense in mathematics.  This was over 500 years ago. This curiosity much like most in science, led to a endeavor, a quest if you will, to expand on what we know and a little more. NASA has lead the charge in our time to lead the 'space race' and construct living quarters above earth. The International Space Station is a floating science lab thousands of miles away conducting experiments and recording information on the unknown. We have now reached the ability of private companies seeking a turn into space exploration. Students will soon learn in their time that it may well be possible to get a ride into space and orbit the earth, something we took for granted not that long ago. The SpaceX landing proves that we are one step closer to making our curiosity a reality. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield summarizes it best by saying "this opens the imagination to what is possible."  Well said.