[Martin Elster]

I’m delighted to announce that my poem, “A Thirty-day Trip on the International Space Station” appears today at The New Verse News.

https://newversenews.blogspot.com/20...nal-space.html

[Edmund Conti]

Delighted to read your poem and note your honors. Congrats on all fronts.

[Vera Ignatowitsch]

An entertaining sonnet, Martin.

Can you actually imagine spending 50 million dollars? I used to work with people who could and they did seem a different breed from the rest of us, but maybe that was just because of the huge mass of lieutenants and underlings they were cocooned in. One guy used to fly everywhere with a cadre that looked like a special forces squad. No women of course.

Best,
Vera

[Martin Elster]

Thanks, Edmund and Vera! I’m happy you both enjoyed it.

Vera, I’m intrigued by your story about those well-heeled folks you worked with. I certainly can’t imagine spending all those millions on a month-long cruise. Plus, you’d have to train to be an astronaut! And, considering I get nauseous on a Ferris wheel ride, I don’t think I’d enjoy it much. But who knows? It could be pretty amazing.

[Siham Karami]

Kudos and congrats, Martin!! A whole different caliber of the commercialization of space. As long as they don’t let anyone junk their used yachts into near-Earth orbit, I suppose we’re ok. 50 million plus they’ll need to sign a waiver in case they get zapped by a cosmic ray or something else goes wrong. Enjoyed.

[Martin Elster]

Thanks, Siham. There's already so much space junk out their orbiting Earth, we sure don't need any used yachts floating around! Cosmic rays are certainly a huge danger, especially for long journeys like going to Mars.

The commercialization of space is developing quicker and quicker, but I find it interesting that nobody has been to the moon in fifty years!