Earth Independence Day?

July 3, 9:37 AMDenver Space Industry ExaminerBrian Enke

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Buzz Aldrin on the Moon. Credit: NASA

• July 1: the 142nd Canada Day
• July 4: the 233rd US Independence Day
• July 20th: ??

For most North Americans, July 20th will pass with a few yawns and some distant memories of fireworks and parties several weeks ago. Just another workday - and a dreaded Monday, to boot.

Yet time marches forever onward and perspectives change. Hundreds of years from now, July 1 and 4 may become working Mondays while July 20th celebrations rage beyond the globe.

What's so special about July 20th? Forty years ago on July 20th, 1969, humans from Earth visited the Moon for the first time. Neil Armstrong spoke those Famous Words to a captivated audience of billions back on the tiny blue marble nearby. The Eagle landed, and the boot-prints and real moonwalks followed.

Ah, now do you remember?

Most people don't, until we remind them. At each stop during a recent driving tour of several US states, I asked several people how they would be celebrating July 20th. My question generated a lot of blank stares or replies like, "Don't you mean July 4th?" Only two of my 85 victims immediately recognized the anniversary (both in Topeka, KS), though 72 of the remaining 83 people responded quite enthusiastically once I reminded them about the Apollo Moon landings.

It's obvious to me that most people still care about space... but a barrage of current events, a lack of quality space coverage in the mainstream media, and a general mood of pessimism about the future threaten to take our eyes off the stars. Of the eleven people in my unscientific poll that I would classify as "apathetic towards space," ten of them were under the age of 30. Five didn't even believe the Moon landings were real.

But what do you think? Here's your chance to sound off... and three questions to get you going.

1. Do you believe that July 20th celebrations will "blast off" in the future? Why or why not?
2. How will you celebrate "Earth Independence Day" this year?
3. What should we do to increase general awareness of space issues, especially in the under-30 crowd?

Please remember to respect other people's opinions as you post yours. There are no right or wrong answers to any of these questions... and any idea may carry the seeds of greatness.