That happened in 1969. And now the final flight of the shuttle Atlantis in July 2011 marks the end of the space shuttle program. Has the glorious era of space exploration ended?

Astronomy professor Mike Brown wrote in Parade magazine: "Like many kids in the 1970s, I was space crazy. I watched in awe as astronauts on TV stepped on the moon's dry surface. I dreamed of living there someday" ("A Look at NASA's Defining Moments and Where We're Headed Now," July 17, 2011).

Ancient astronomers thought that every star might hold a solar system like our own. "But the latest generation of telescopes is showing us that we couldn't be more wrong. Seemingly the only thing we haven't seen is a solar system like our own. It is exceptional—now we just need to figure out why it is so different" (ibid.).

Let God answer: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1, emphasis added). Our planet is unique, created by God to expand His family through human beings (compare Hebrews 1:14 and Genesis 1:26 with 1 Corinthians 15:49).

The age of space exploration hasn't even begun to begin, at least not as God envisions it. He promises us that as His children we "shall inherit all things," being given immortality and spirit glory just as Jesus Christ has now (Revelation 21:7; 1 John 3:2). "All things" includes this vast universe, which, like God, we apparently will be able to traverse at the speed of thought. That is when the glorious age of space travel truly will begin! To learn more, request or download our free booklet What Is Your Destiny? (Source: Parade magazine.)