"Astronomy compels the soul to look upward, and leads us from this world to another." — Plato, 'The Republic,' 342 B.C.
"Many say exploration is part of our destiny, but it's actually our duty to future generations and their quest to ensure the survival of the human species." — Buzz Aldrin, on the 37th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Landing, July 2006
"I don't think the human race will survive the next thousand years, unless we spread into space. There are too many accidents that can befall life on a single planet. But I'm an optimist. We will reach out to the stars." — Stephen Hawking, interview with Daily Telegraph, 2001
"It [the rocket] will free man from his remaining chains, the chains of gravity which still tie him to this planet. It will open to him the gates of heaven." — Wernher von Braun