Rosetta-Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things
“The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff.”
― Carl Sagan, Cosmos
It’s like trying to hit a hummingbird on the Moon with a dart thrown from Earth.
The 67P/Churyumovv-Geasimenko comet, a little over two miles in diameter, and constantly spinning, was moving at 85,000 miles an hour when the Philae lander touched down. Launched in 2004, the Rosetta travelled 500 million miles to track down and land on this spec hurtling through space—a stunning accomplishment for the human race.
What can we learn from the audacious team of scientists and engineers who pulled this off?
Commitment
It’s one thing to say you’re going to commit to do something. It’s another to believe, without doubt or hesitation, that it can be done. If just one person believes you have something special. If a team of people believe—as one, heaven and earth will be moved.
Ingenuity
The ingenuity of the human mind is as expansive as the universe we seek to understand. To change your dreams to reality requires that you stay open-minded to possibilities. Through the lens of creativity the outcome will become clear, and if you’re properly trained, the results will manifest.
Passion
Nothing great can ever be accomplished without passion. This is the emotional response to the logic of achievement. It’s the feeling you get when you can’t wait to jump out of bed in the morning and start the day’s work. It’s fueled by the satisfaction, and pure joy, you experience in working for a cause: You feel like you’re making a difference.
Persistence
“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On!’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
― Calvin Coolidge
Perfection
Being a perfectionist has its drawbacks—not here. When your task requires you to be perfect, you must, or you will fail. The slightest miscalculation and Rosetta would now be hurtling off to the Milky Way. Know when to be perfect—and not.
Patience
10 years! That’s a painfully long time to see the fruits of your labor. Unfortunately, patience has lost some of its virtue in our world of instant gratification. Rushing through things will lead to mediocre performance, or worse, failure. Patience is like a beacon shining a light on the path to success—it gives us time to catch up to the desired result.
Congratulations to the men and women of the European Space Agency!