Expanding horizons

The last member of the Apollo 14 mission has died as a new spirit of exploration emerges

Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell posing in front of the mission's patch. Nasa

Edgar Mitchell, one the 12 American Apollo astronauts to have walked on the Moon, died on February 4 at the age of 85. His death is a reminder that a generation of space explorers is growing old and the burden to continue their work is firmly in our hands. Mitchell was one of the pioneers who expanded humankind’s horizons and aspirations through space travel. Our intrigue with space ­exploration has flourished but we have failed to stage similarly ambitious missions into the unknown for lack of resources.

With leaps in technology, we now have options beyond human space travel, but we need to rededicate ourselves to exploration. The UAE recently unveiled an ambitious unmanned Mars mission. The National is helping to encourage the next generation of young scientists by supporting the Genes in Space competition. The ­Apollo missions changed what was possible in the 1960s. We should honour the memory of astronauts like Mitchell by again redefining the world of possibilities in space.