A
hint of the Global Mind from Space
Dear
Team:
Here is a final e-mail from the late Ilan Ramon, Isreal's first
astronaut to the president of Israel a few days before his death.
What is interesting about the letter is how Teilhard's ideas
can be gleaned even from this short letter.
Israel like all other countries takes pride in its national
achievements, yet even here we see that Col.Ramon could see
from space that the planet was a whole with no borders. A great
insight from a man who lives in a area were obsession with borders
is PRIME.
This letter is the best memorial I could think of for those
who lost their lives on the space shuttle. It is my hope that
one day every citizen of earth will have this global view-point
without having to go into space literally...
Michael
Thursday,
February 06, 2003 Adar1 4, 5763 Israel Time: 06:51 (GMT+2)
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Ilan Ramon's e-mail to President Moshe Katsav
Dear Mr. President,
It's
an honor and a great privilege for me to write you this letter
from Space. As you probably know, I blasted off to space about
ten days ago on board of Space Shuttle Columbia, and by that
got lucky to be the first Israeli in Space.
During
the last four and a half years I have been in training for this
mission, and after a few delays we finally made it.
As
a lot of my fellow astronauts at NASA told me - it was worth
the wait - the experience of being in space is something that
no words can really describe and although we work 18 hours a
day, we have a lot of fun and extraordinary and exciting time.
This
morning - Saturday January 26 - we had flown over Israel, and
although it wasn't the first pass, it was the best.
From
space I could easily spot Jerusalem and while looking at Jerusalem
our capital I prayed just one short prayer - "Shema Israel
Adonai Elohenou Adonai Echad." (Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord
our God, the Lord is One)
I
believe, as I said a few times earlier, that we have in Israel
the best people with a phenomenal abilities, and it takes only
the right leadership to lead the people of Israel to reach the
sky!
Mr.
President, if you would find it appropriate, please convey my
deep appreciation to all Israel's citizens, and let them know
that I am honored to be their first representative ever in Space.
In our mission we have a variety of international scientific
experiments and scientists, including scientists from Arab states.
We are all working this mission for the benefit of all mankind,
and from space our world looks as one unity with no borders.
So let me call from up here in space - let's work our way for
peace and better life for every one on Earth.
With
that I thank you, Mr. President, and send you my best blessing
for a long and healthy life - to you and all your family.
Ilan
Ramon, Space Shuttle Columbia, day 12 in space.
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