Turning Science Fiction into Science Fact

Last updated on: January 15, 2015 at 4:01 pm by Joseph Susanka

Turning Science Fiction into Science Fact 2015-01-15T16:01:11-07:00 Joseph Susanka

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Rosetta: the ambition to turn science fiction into science fact.

Yes, I realize I’m posting a short on back-to-back days, but I just can’t help myself. It’s not so much that it’s a really, really well-made sci-fi short (though that’s not an insignificant selling point). It’s that I can’t remember seeing anything like it before, and that makes it a a “first-timer” thing for me. And that always gets me excited.

Behold, Tomasz Bagiński’s Ambition, the first advertisement for a realio-trulio, ongoing (and mind-blowing) space project that I’ve ever seen.

Yep. That’s right. This is (essentially, though some might quibble) an ad. For the ESA (European Space Agency) and their Rosetta project.

As Tomek Bagiński’s short film Ambition makes clear, it is the essence of what it means to be human, to attempt difficult things, to reach for seemingly impossible goals, to learn, adapt and evolve.

And at the heart of this film is Rosetta, ESA’s real mission to rendezvous with, escort and land on a comet. A mission that began as a dream, but that after decades of planning, construction and flight through the Solar System, has arrived at its goal.

Its aim? To unlock the secrets hidden within the icy treasure chest for 4.6 billion years. To study its make-up and its history. To search for clues as to our own origins.

From 100 km distance, to 50, 30 and then, defying all expectations, to just 10 km, Rosetta continues to captivate and intrigue with every image and every data packet returned.

It will rewrite the textbooks of cometary science.

But there is more, an even greater challenge, another ambitious first: to land on the comet.

The stage is set. The date: 12 November 2014.

Attribution(s): All artwork, publicity images, and stills are the property of ESA and all respective creators and/or distributors.

Quodlibets

Previous Post

October 25, 2014

Remembering St. Crispin's Day with Tom Hiddleston

Next Post

October 29, 2014 Living with Musical Free Association Syndrome

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Baseball Faith Family Lenten Music Movies Music No Commentary Necessary Parked By the Jukebox Photography Politics Quodlibets Streaming Video Suggestions Summa Short Films Television The Man Behind the Booth Through a Lens, Darkly

Select a Month December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 July 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 November 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz