I remember watching it on a blurry TV set with my dad. Now almost a lifetime later I'm an old man watching humanity on a flight to circle the moon. If all goes well with this flight and Artemis 3, then Artemis 4 will land on the moon within the next couple of years.

I have long felt robbed of the promised future of my childhood. We should have been to Mars by now, but instead we spent five decades circling the earth in Shuttles and Space Stations. It wasn't a total waste. We have learned much from it. But half a century is a very long education.

If I can keep breathing for another 20 years I might yet see a moon base and a Mars landing. Or we could see another round of flags and footprints followed by another long era of stagnant space exploration.

But today at least, I am happy to see the dream of my childhood finally take flight once again.