'I am one of that ever reducing fraction of the Earth's population that was an observer of the birth of the space age in 1957. In fact, I was one of those fortunate enough to not only watch it happen, but be a part of it. In those early years, man-made objects flying in space were very few and far between. Now, a bit over a half-century later, collisions in space are being reported!
'It has been a very exciting time. We take a great deal of pride in our accomplishments in exploration and exploitation of the universe around us. But we are still in the infancy of space flight. I hope I can be around long enough to savour the new knowledge and vastly increasing benefits that will accrue from our continued pursuit of expansion of the human presence in our solar system.'