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On Oct. 20, 2000 - at about 10:00 p.m. CDT, Japanese astronaut Wakata e-mailed from Discovery to children, who will be stepping towards to the 21 st centuury. To the children stepping towards the 21st century Can you answer immediately if someone asks you what your dream is? When I was a child, I was interested in airplanes, and my dream was to some day be an airplane engineer. Being an astronaut was an extension of that dream. I think having dreams in one's life is very important. Now I am helping to build a foundation for all of you, the next generation, to fly into space, by building the International Space Station. I am trying hard so that you will think my generation, which is also the generation of your father and mother, has contributed to building a better world. I am very confident that space can truly become a common ground for all of humanity. I also believe that the International Space Station, which can be completed only by reaching beyond national boundaries, will teach us something new about ourselves, new values for everyone living on Earth. My next goal is to take part in the construction of Kibo, the Japanese Experimental Module, and to work as part of an Expedition Crew, thus contributing to the success of the program. In the future, I have a dream to participate in the construction of a Lunar Base. So, what is your dream?
Koichi Wakata, Astronaut, National Space Development Agency of Japan
from the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-92)
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