I admit it, as a boy I was set on being an astronaut – or at least certainly spent a reasonable amount of childhood fascinated by the space race. I remember the first shuttle (Columbia) in 1981 – some  30 years ago, very clearly and being glued to the TV watching the shuttle return to earth. A childhood holiday in Florida helped feed my appetite for all things NASA with a visit to the Kennedy Space Centre – which was a fantastic “working museum” to the US space programme.

The shuttle has become so familar that it is easy to forget what a momentous achievement this is. As I remind my daughters when some things seem “impossible” that if we can conceive it, we can probably find a way eventually, admittedly the path is often difficult and potentially full of challenges, but however difficult the task, we can work towards achieving our goals.

We all have much to learn from the dedication and commitment to overcoming challenges. NASA is, to me, a wonderful inspiration. Let’s hope for a successful mission and that the work being done in the International Spacestation is a reminder that working together is far more rewarding that working alone. Do check out the NASA website and their amazing missions, discoveries and belief in overcoming huge challenges.