I Love to Sail Forbidden Seas

This famous quote by Herman Melville in Moby Dick is featured in this recently released short film named 'Wanderers'. Narrated by the legend that is Carl Sagan, the magical film by Erik Wernquist is a window into the future of humanity as we evolve into the space-faring species we are destined to one day become. It is inspiring, stunning and most of all makes me think I was born a century too early!

-Nikita

Sunday Snippet

I've decided to start posting little Sunday snippets of inspiration every now and then. Sunday to me, is reflective of the week ahead. If you have a productive and positive Sunday, you're all set for the week. I think that working in any industry, not only in the field of space and science, requires constant self-improvement and self-awareness — something that I think is made easier by thought-provoking quotes such as the one above. Stepping outside of my comfort zone is how I find that I grow as a person and I enjoy reading the occasional inspiring quote or two to remind myself of my goals and ambitions both professionally and personally.

This quote in particular really does apply to space too, especially with the bittersweet last few weeks we have had. The challenges and achievements of the Rosetta Mission, the unfortunate Virgin Galactic test flight and the Antares rocket failure demonstrates our need as humans to attempt what we have not attempted before. Making changes and triggering innovation really does take  big, courageous leaps of faith in order to reach what lies beyond our shores.

- Nikita

Foreign Nostalgia

Whilst living abroad, going home can almost feel foreign at times— as contradictory as that sounds. Having lived in the US, France and now Germany for the past 2 years now, I've become accustomed to and have enjoyed living my daily life immersed in cultures and languages that are different to my own

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However, whenever I return home there's something about rainy tea-filled afternoons, the 'mind-the-gap' London Underground lady, black cabs and the leafy green suburbs of Greater London that seem both very familiar, but very different. A unique blend of foreign nostalgia. The classic expat's oxymoron. 

After returning to the bright, city lights of London recently, I obviously became an complete tourist :)  Above is a photo that I took of the London skyline, which includes one of my favourite places in London, St Paul's Cathedral. 

“It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what’s changed, is you.” ― Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

-Nikita

ISS for the Nobel Peace Prize

A project I am currently involved with is the ISS for the Nobel Peace Prize initiative. The International Space Station, or ISS is the largest peace-time endeavour in human history and a model for international cooperation. We aim to promote the ISS as a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize and hopefully one day win the prestigious award.

15 nations formed the ISS Partnership with: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These nations worked together despite cultural and geographical differences to build, finance and launched the orbiting science laboratory and home. 

As the largest structure built by humans in space, it serves as a permanent outpost within the vacuum of space. Humans have lived peacefully in space everyday since the year 2000! Such a magnificent testament to  peace and cooperation both on Earth and in space is one that is worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize and it is the goal of the ISS for Nobel Peace Prize initiative to secure global recognition of this technological feat that has brought scientific and economic benefits to all partners as well as inspiring people across the globe to dream higher. 

Click here if you would like to learn more about how you can help to nominate the ISS for the Nobel Peace Prize and find us on social media sites Twitter and Facebook also. Follow the hashtags #ISS and #ISS4NobelPrize for more information.

-Nikita