It takes a massive, and mostly unknowingly, collaborative effort to put a rocket to the sky.

There are the miners who produce the ore that, once smelted, will become the aluminum and steel forming, basic, structural pieces of the rocket.  These miners produce the gold and copper needed for electronic circuitry and fittings in the space craft.   They don’t know where the product of their labors with end up. It may be household plumbing, roofing, jewelry, or the rocket ship, they toil nonetheless.

There are the drillers and oil rig operators that labor to provide oil.  This product is then refined and repurposed to generate the launch material as well as the  plastics used for buttons, and seats, and panels, and ladders, and innumerable other implements aboard the rocket.

There are the sap collectors responsible for rubber production.  The seals in the doors, windows, and on tires to get the rocket to the launch pad, all require rubber.

There are countless other raw material producers for the rocket.  Most of these individuals have no knowledge of how their efforts influence the final product.

And then there are the molders of these raw materials.

The electricians must take circuitry, wiring, copper connection, and baffling interconnectivity, and coerce its cooperation.

The welders must fuse pieces together seamlessly.

Air and heating specialists must ensure breathability in the rocket.

Construct specialists must labor to put all of these pieces together.

When the raw materials are provided, and structural integrity is intact, the true potential of the rocket must to be honed.  Blunt ejection into the unknown is the most likely precursor of failure.  Propulsion of the rocket requires fine tuning, or, intellectual guidance.

Every minutiae of the integrity of the craft must be double scrutinized to ensure seamlessness and completion. Every bolt must be triple checked for integrity and every potential crease evaluated for fluidity.

All of the systems must be checked to ensure communication and life support functions are fully actuated.

The trajectory must but calculated, or at least confirmed and verified, before take off.  Any deviation from the course will result in cataclysmic mission failure.

The pilot, or astronaut, must be trained.  This training will involve not only the purely scientific needs of the mission, but that a representative of humanity is present as well, purportedly also as an example of its values.

Various experts will be involved.  The philosophical expert will coach regarding the significance of exploration, adventure and perpetuation of ideas.  The nutritionist/coach will insist upon a fulfilling yet balanced diet coupled with an exercise regiment.  The preacher with demand a subservience to god and denial of self exploration.  The artist will ask for a nod.  The teacher will ask to be remembered.  The friend will want to be involved forever, or until the launch of the rocket.  The parent will direct anywhere but to the rocket.

When ready, the rocket stands magnificently on the pad, and is prepped for launch.

All failsafes have already been covered.  All attempts to delay launch have already occurred. Acted upon by unsuspecting millions, the rocket is on the pad, completely still, ready for the unknown.

It could combust during ignition, launching a blazing, destructive, fireball, miles from the launch site.

It could reach low altitudes, and improper procedures could have compromised small elements in the structure,  causing pieces to break off, and preventing the rocket from reaching great heights.

It could never take off, and be relegated to miserable basement basement storage, far from its potential.

Or, it could blast off, follow its trajectory, and find itself in orbit, and on course to its destination.

The slightest deviation of a successful launch could crash this vessel into a planet, or asteroid.

The instinctual decision to meander could result in a crash landing upon foreign soil.

All trajectories though, regardless of intent, wealth, drive, sadness, happiness, despair, or unbelievably competent rational to the contrary, resolve at the same destination.

It’s the journey that matters.

Humbly yours,

J