Why do some of us cry at launches? A thread. #LaunchAmerica

I think it’s natural to cry when we recognize the immensity of human effort involved in spaceflight. This is the hardest thing we do as a species.

Spaceflight is only barely within our capability and sometimes we fail - when we do, we get up, learn from the failure, and keep trying.

Spaceflight requires the very best of humans; humans that are fallible. These rockets and spacecraft aren’t made in a factory by a machine (ok, some are), they are made by hand. Human hands.

Humans made these. Human beings conceived of, designed, and built these - with science and engineering. Human beings have the audacity to build a machine that is capable of hurtling us off of this planet.

And then the very, very best of us climb into these spacecraft built by imperfect human hands and willingly leave the safety of our home planet to explore and learn and build our knowledge.

That is why I cry. In the fire and smoke of liftoff, I see the efforts of human beings helping, pushing, willing, reaching, and striving to be better together.