Like many Israeli citizens, I was excited on Monday when it was announced that Israel had its second astronaut, pilot Eytan Stibbe.
Eytan, who is slated to take off for the International Space Station in about a year, will be another chapter of Israel's journey to space, which started when the late Ilan Ramon set off on the Columbia shuttle.
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The journey to space is a national one, not a person one. It is a journey to the hearts of millions of Israeli citizens, a journey of inspiration, breaking barriers, and reaching new heights. So no one was happier than I was to see more Israeli organizations joining us on this journey and Israeli society pushing us forward.
On the other hand, every journey need individuals who will move it along – At Beresheet 1 we could not have been able to fulfill our vision without the donors, particularly Morris Kahn and Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson, without our partners, workers, volunteers, and supporters. This time, it's Eytan, Ran, Inbal, Maya, the Ramon family, the people from the Ramon Foundation, the Science and Technology Ministry, the Israel Space Agency, and of course plenty of others.
Personally, amid all this excitement, I really miss the late Rona Ramon, who started the Ramon Foundation and was a true partner in our dream, when Beresheet was still in its infancy. Her special personality shone on everyone who met her and gave everyone a sense that any challenge was surmountable.
Rona, through the Ramon Foundation, saw an opportunity to inspire the young generation and encourage it to dream big. On Monday, another dream came true. Since we began the Beresheet project, we have traveled all over the country and met with thousands of youngsters who "caught" the space bug and chose to take part in the journey. I have no doubt that Monday's announcement of a second Israeli astronaut will allow them to keep dreaming. Maybe the third astronaut will be a woman.
We need more astronauts, more engineers, more scientists, and hundreds of thousands more children who will look up, dare to dream, and not stop until they make their dreams come true. On Monday, as a nation, we took another step forward – and the journey continues.
The Adelson family owns the company that is the primary shareholder in Israel Hayom.
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