Space tech options for Scots children

Former Nasa Space Shuttle pilot Lieutenant Colonel Duane “Digger” Carey, who recently visited Fife, was the 410th human to enter space when he piloted Columbia on Nasa’s fourth Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission in March 2002.

However, 50 years on from watching the Apollo 11 moon landing on TV in July 1969, aged 12, the anniversary has also caused him to reflect on the significance of the ongoing quest to explore space.

And he is calling on Scottish children to “stick in” at school if they want to become part of the next generation of space engineers.

“I can now say that the night I spent watching the first two moonwalks unfold in grainy black and white, my six-week old sister on my knee, changed the trajectory of my entire life,” Duane told The Courier in an exclusive interview from his home in the USA.

“After Neil and Buzz climbed back into their spindly moonship, I tucked little sis back into her crib and stepped outside to take a look.

“I still remember gazing at that fat crescent, figuring that, for communication reasons, the crew must be on the portion of the lit moon that was visible. At that moment, I felt anything was possible and that the future would be a wonderful place. An indescribable wave of optimism and hope washed over me. And, I very gradually began a voyage in my life that eventually led me to space.”

Duane said that after several “dry spells” in human space exploration, he’s recently felt as if people are “beginning to turn the corner” largely due to dramatic developments in the commercial space sector. More people and companies are realising there is big money to be made, and that spells jobs.

“I’ve been watching very closely for 50 years and can see that things are clearly starting to pop,” he said, “and the part of the world that led mankind to and through the industrial revolution, Scotland, has a place at the table.

“My message to kids: work hard, it will be worth it. And parents, keep your children on track: the world will need those renowned Scottish engineers more urgently than ever before.”