Leaf 224 – Reflections
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| The International Space Station, or "ISS" (2010) NASA/Crew of STS-132 |
This is a poem about the
International Space Station, or “the ISS” as it is often called (note the
acronym is hidden in the poem’s second line). It’s always fascinating to track
the space station and to see it zipping by overhead, orbiting through the night
sky. It moves remarkably fast. I used to have a radio scanner which was capable
of tuning into its broadcasts. Often all you would hear were the ‘packet signals’
of digital data which it sends and receives from various ground stations, which
sound a lot like old dial-up internet modems used to; but every now and then –
especially when the ISS was communicating with schools via ham radio – you might
hear the voices of the astronauts on board, which was quite a thrill.
I always find it astounding to see
and think about this tiny, technological island of humanity which has been up
there, continuously inhabited since 2nd November 2000, circling the Earth once
every 93 minutes. It’s inspiring as well to think about such a remote scientific
research outpost sailing along the outer edge of our planet’s atmosphere, and
the global-international cooperative effort which keeps it afloat.
Passing overhead
in swift silence – a tiny life raft
crossing the river of heaven.
