We went to the Moon as technicians; we returned as humanitarians.
Edgar MitchellRead
Eventually we must leave Earth-at least a certain number of our progeny must as our sun approaches the end of its solar life cycle. But just as terrestrial explorers have always led the way for settlers, this will also happen extraterrestrially. Earth is our cradle, not our final destiny.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humanity must ultimately leave Earth as the sun will no longer support life, suggesting our destiny lies beyond our planet.
This quote reflects the inevitability of humanity's expansion beyond Earth as our planet will one day become inhospitable due to the sun's life cycle. Just as explorers ventured into the unknown to find new lands, future generations will need to seek out new worlds for survival, indicating that our origins on Earth should not limit our aspirations for the future. Mitchell emphasizes that while Earth has been our nurturing home, it is not the ultimate destination for human existence.
Themes
EarthFutureExplorationDestinyHumanitySpace
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the future of humanity, one might use this quote to illustrate the need for space exploration.
More from Edgar Mitchell
All quotes →We should be ready to reach out beyond our planet and beyond our solar system to find out what is really going on out there.
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We need to make the world safe for creativity and intuition, for it's creativity and intuition that will make the world safe for us.
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We're at a point in history were we have to become a part of the neighborhood of inhabited planets, like a neighborhood of a community, which we have not even acknowledged that that community exists up until this point.
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You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world, and a compulsion to do something about it. From out there on the moon, international politics looks so petty.
Edgar MitchellRead
My view of our planet was a glimpse of divinity.
Edgar MitchellRead
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