The first mission to Mars did not expect to find craters and river valleys, and yet they did. The first mission to Jupiter didn't expect to find ocean worlds and volcano worlds, but they did.
Alan SternRead
When I started working with NASA in 1989 as part of a mission to send spacecraft to Pluto, I knew it would take at least 10-15 years to see results of my efforts.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of patience and long-term vision in achieving significant scientific goals.
Alan Stern's quote reflects the reality of scientific exploration, particularly in ambitious projects such as sending spacecraft to distant destinations like Pluto. It highlights that groundbreaking work, especially in fields like space exploration, often requires a prolonged commitment and the understanding that meaningful results may take years or even decades to materialize, underscoring the need for perseverance and dedication in the pursuit of knowledge.
Themes
PatienceScienceDedicationLong-TermExploration
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a motivational speech to encourage students pursuing careers in STEM fields.
More from Alan Stern
All quotes →I can't imagine how many kids around the world will look at pictures of Pluto and think, 'I want to grow up to be a scientist.'
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If two billion people wanted to watch a robot fly by Pluto, imagine what it will be like when the first humans step on Mars. It'll be the most unifying event anybody could ever put on.
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We're going to find Marses and maybe Earths out in the solar system's attic of the Oort Cloud and the Kuiper Belt.
Alan SternRead
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