Astronaut John Young

January 6, 2018. News reports today announced yesterday's passing of astronaut John Young- the most famous and accomplished astronaut you've probably never heard of. He had a career at NASA that spanned four decades and during that time he flew two Gemini missions, two Apollo missions, and two space shuttle missions. In 2008, I became obsessed with watching space documentaries and that was how I first became aware of him. I thought Young was fascinating and I Googled his name to learn everything I could about him. That was how I discovered Novaspace, the art gallery that hosts the annual Spacefest I attend. Sadly, I never got to meet him. I attended my first Spacefest in 2009 and Young attended his last Spacefest in 2007. For someone I've never met, he certainly changed my life profoundly. After attending my first Spacefest, I became hooked and over the course of nearly ten years I've met and interacted with almost every Apollo astronaut and a host of space shuttle astronauts and aviators. I have attended conferences, banquets, hall of fame celebrations, etc. I have formed lifelong relationships with people from all over the world. Attending that first conference literally opened up the world for me. I realized I could travel all over the country to pursue my interests and have amazing adventures.