fragile oasis

The Overview Effect: I Think It Works Both Ways

Sept. 15, 2011

It’s been a long time since my last blog entry here on Fragile Oasis. Actually it’s been since March, which was right about the same time as my friend Ronnie Garan was getting ready to launch on his space station adventure to the ISS. In the past 5+ months that he has been up there he has shared some really wonderful things with us from his special vantage point in space. So I figured there really wasn’t much more I could add from my place here on the planet --- well, that is, until now.

Today, my friends Ronnie and Sasha and Andre’ will be making their way home in their Soyuz capsule, so I wanted to share something I learned from their Expedition and from the things they’ve shown us. Sorry, this could be a long one.:)

“The Overview Effect”
“A term coined by space philosopher and writer Frank White, which refers to the experience of seeing firsthand the reality of the Earth in space, which is immediately understood to be a tiny, fragile ball of life, hanging in the void, shielded and nourished by a paper-thin atmosphere. From space, the astronauts tell us, national boundaries vanish, the conflicts that divide us become less important and the need to create a planetary society with the united will to protect this “pale blue dot” becomes both obvious and imperative.”

“Orbiting Earth in the spaceship, I saw how beautiful our planet is. People, let us preserve and increase this beauty, not destroy it!” -- Yuri Gagarin

This “effect” of spaceflight has been reported since the first human, Yuri Gagarin, left the planet over 50 years ago, and has continued until today. This is a response from astronauts/cosmonauts/taikonauts/angkasawan of all nations --- it doesn’t matter where you come from, this is a HUMAN response.

"As we got further, Earth diminished in size. Finally, it shrank to the size of a marble, the most beautiful you can imagine. That warm, living object looked so fragile, so delicate, that if you touched it with a finger it would crumble. Seeing this has to change a man." -- James B. Irwin, Apollo 15

"The stark contrast between the beauty of our planet and unfortunate realities of life for many inhabitants reaffirmed the belief I share with so many. Each and every one of us has the responsibility to leave it a little better than we found it." -- Ron Garan, STS-124 & Soyuz TMA21

Shortly after arriving to space my first time, I used my NASA blog to reflect on my feelings about seeing our planet from that very special vantage point:

“It’s still very surreal to me that I am living on the ISS and that I can see our planet from this 200 mile vantage point and circling it once every 90 minutes. And for me, like others before me, I am totally surprised and in awe of the overwhelming, glowing beauty of our planet. Our Earth glows like a colorful light bulb against the blackest black I’ve ever seen. Everyday up here I am blessed with the opportunity to spend some time looking out the windows towards home and seeing things I never would have expected. Moving around the planet every 90 minutes, with the orbit slightly shifting and taking us over someplace new, with the sun rising and setting gracefully across the horizon every 45 minutes, the moon brilliantly popping into view and then squishing as it sets into the thin glowing blue line of our atmosphere. I can’t help but look at the Earth and see anything other than this living, beautiful thing, that always seems to be sharing some changing emotion or different side of its personality with me – sometimes very calm and peaceful and other times very dynamic and aggressive, but always silently asking to be taken care of.”

Ronnie has worked very hard during his time on station to use the orbital perspective to help inspire people to go out and make a difference; to help make life better for everyone sharing space on this fragile oasis called Earth. He very successfully managed to incorporate these sentiments into everything he did up there. So I, for one, just wanted to thank him for doing that for us.

The ISS is a wonderful, spectacular orbiting laboratory and home. For the past 10+ years there have been people continuously living and working in space – orbiting above us for over a decade!! It is a testament to the success and positive impact that can be made when we challenge ourselves to do difficult things. And this is a challenge on a global scale. The largest and most complex international scientific project in human history! Everything about the space station has benefits to us both on and off the planet. It is certainly the perfect example of a project that is helping make life better here on Earth – life better for humanity.

As I have watched over these past months, with my feet firmly planted on the ground, as my friends passed above me on this shiny point of light crossing the night sky, it occurred to me that this idea of an Overview Effect might just work both ways --- not only for those looking in amazement, appreciation and awe at our planet; but also for those looking up to the sky at the wonders orbiting us there. It seems that both perspectives remind us of the fragile nature of where we live – Earth with its thin blue atmosphere and ISS with its thin silver hull – both protecting their humans from the harsh vacuum of space; both reminding us that wherever humanity chooses to ‘reside’, we are obligated to take care of that place – our home.

Godspeed and Safe Travels Home Ronnie, Sasha & Andre’!
See you soon!!

Leave a comment

Discuss this post

7Comments about this post

Sept. 16, 2011

mark C.

I am in awe at these thoughts and images I feel very lucky to have been born in 1959 in this age of wonders.Belive me when I say seeing this from a pc screen may not be as fantastic as being up there but I cherish the fact that I can see the earth from the space station and read about your feeling to it all. Simply awesome and wonderful thank you so much. From Mark down there in the UK in a sleepy little town called Halesworth looking up at the skys in awe with my telescope.

Sept. 18, 2011

Marco P.

Dear Nicole, this is crew member 876 :)
I want to tell you that this article is between the most beautiful posts of the blog and it is very inspirational. The post is full of quotes and references to other "Earthling constitution's articles", indeed. It stimulates the reading and the documentation and it suggested to me many books and authors that has written and I hope will write books.

I want to sincerely add with you to thank Ron for what he did thanks to all the STS missions and thanks to all of us. And I deeply try to understand the importance of the ISS and the experimetns carried up there.
I completely agree that now the OE is not anymore an OVER-view effect but it is becoming and EE such as a Earth Effect or better and Enseble Effect, a Mirror effect because we can watch ourownselves down to earth and toward the space in the same way (even if our presence is not so vast in outer space or better in LEO as much as our presence on our Fragile Oasis).

Much love.
m, from northern Italy from a tiny city called Roveredo in Piano near Aviano US air force base and now writing from Milan.

Sept. 20, 2011

Frank W.

Nicole,

As author of "The Overview Effect," I am delighted to see the work you are doing and am pleased to join the community. I recently saw a documentary called "Fragile Oasis" on the National Geographic Channel. Was your team connected with it?

I have been following Ron's posts with great interest. His comments have been very inspiring.

I would love to share more with you about topics of mutual interest.

Nov. 21, 2011

Daniel B.

I came to Fragile Oasis because Phil Plait kept mentioning Ron Garan and posting some of his stuff. After signing up I almost left, content with getting set up for the blog notices via email. But I'm glad that I stayed to read this post. This was a great piece of writing. I totally dig what ya'll are doing!

April 27, 2012

Raoul L.

Hi Nicole,
Frank De Winne told met that in order to see stars from the Space Station, you needed to go to the Soyuz spacecraft, shut the hatch so as to be in complete darkness and look outside from the tiny window, while the station is in the night side. I wonder if it has improved with the Cupola, even though it faces the Earth and there must be lots of lights all around the room. It really isn't evident to see faint stars, from Low Earth Orbit. How about during an EVA? Can lights be turned off while at work, outside ?

July 1, 2012

Jakir H.

All Praise to Allah (Subhanallah !!), who made this planet so beautiful and reside us in a more beautiful planet and protect us every way to make our living safe on the earth.

Thank you very much Nocole. I am very much amazed only imagining what you observe in your naked eye. I wish, if I was there in the space!!

Aug. 9, 2012

Austin V.

interesting and engaging read ...enjoyed it :)