--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For the first time in history, we have…" description: "\"For the first time in history, we have the chance to change the path of a celestial body. Let's realize what we're talking about here. We would be slig..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/rusty-schweickart-16191_body_for-the-first-time-in-history-we-have-th_3032897.png" --- # For the first time in history, we have the chance to… ![“For the first time in history, we have the chance to change the path of a celestial body. Let's realize what we're talking about here. We would be slightly changing the mechanics of our solar system to enhance our survival. That is gigantic!” quote by Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/rusty-schweickart-16191_body_for-the-first-time-in-history-we-have-th_3032897.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/rusty-schweickart-16191_body_for-the-first-time-in-history-we-have-th_3032897.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/135/rusty-schweickart-16191_body_for-the-first-time-in-history-we-have-th_3032897.png) > “For the first time in history, we have the chance to change the path of a celestial body. Let's realize what we're talking about here. We would be slightly changing the mechanics of our solar system to enhance our survival. That is gigantic!” [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highlights humanity’s unprecedented ability to alter celestial mechanics for survival, underscoring the magnitude of such endeavors **In simple terms:** Humanity can now change planetary paths for survival Key Takeaway Recognize the responsibility of large‑scale scientific actions Themes space exploration survival technology Mood awe urgent Type scientific visionary When to use this quote - space policy - public outreach - ethical debate Key Concepts celestial mechanics human agency future planning Questions to Reflect On - What ethical frameworks guide planetary engineering? - How should humanity prioritize such projects? A Different Perspective Technological power can be misused; governance needed ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Celestial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celestial/) [Celestial bodies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celestial-bodies/) [Celestial Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celestial-body-3432610/) [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Changing Mechanics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/changing-mechanics-4962349/) [First time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/first-time/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Mechanic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mechanic/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Path Celestial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path-celestial-4962348/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Solar system](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/solar-system/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Survival](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survival/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Each celestial body, in fact each and every atom, produces a particular sound on account of its movement, its rhythm or vibration. All these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pythagoras/each-celestial-body-in-fact-each-and-every-atom-produces-a-particular/) [Pythagoras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pythagoras/) > [Talk about celestial bodies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackson-browne/talk-about-celestial-bodies/) [Jackson Browne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackson-browne/) > [Now hear it, O inhabitants of the earth, Jew and Gentile, Saint and sinner! 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It refers the course of celestial bodies to the miserable ego: it establishes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/astrology-furnishes-a-splendid-proof-of-the-contemptible-subjectivity/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [“A celestial wizard doesn’t destroy celestial bodies. She bends them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andri-e-elia/a-celestial-wizard-doesn-t-destroy-celestial-bodies-she-bends-them/) [Andri E. Elia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andri-e-elia/) > [Of all celestial bodies within reach or view, as far as we can see, out to the edge, the most wonderful and marvellous and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/of-all-celestial-bodies-within-reach-or-view-as-far-as-we-can-see-out/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The moon and other celestial bodies should be free for exploration and use by all countries. No country should be permitted to advance a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/the-moon-and-other-celestial-bodies-should-be-free-for-exploration/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [One important object of this original spectroscopic investigation of the light of the stars and other celestial bodies, namely to discover whether the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-huggins/one-important-object-of-this-original-spectroscopic-investigation-of/) [William Huggins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-huggins/) > [Perhaps... some day the precision of the data will be brought so far that the mathematician will be able to calculate at his desk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-lavoisier/perhaps-some-day-the-precision-of-the-data-will-be-brought-so-far/) [Antoine Lavoisier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-lavoisier/) > [When Galileo discovered he could use the tools of mathematics and mechanics to understand the motion of celestial bodies, he felt, in the words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-j-clinton/when-galileo-discovered-he-could-use-the-tools-of-mathematics-and/) [William J. Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) ## More by Rusty Schweickart > [As a former Apollo astronaut, I think it's safe to say that SpaceX and the other commercial developers embody the 21st century version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/as-a-former-apollo-astronaut-i-think-it-s-safe-to-say-that-spacex-and/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [We could not wipe ourselves out with a nuclear war. I do not want so sound too positive. It would be a catastrophe, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/we-could-not-wipe-ourselves-out-with-a-nuclear-war-i-do-not-want-so/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [Asteroids are deep-space bodies orbiting the Sun, not the Earth, and traveling to one would mean sending humans into solar orbit for the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/asteroids-are-deep-space-bodies-orbiting-the-sun-not-the-earth-and/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [Asteroids have hit the Earth millions of times. We can see them as shooting stars every night. When they get bigger, things get complicated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/asteroids-have-hit-the-earth-millions-of-times-we-can-see-them-as/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [In the short term, some deadly virus might be more important, but in the long run there is hardly anything more important than asteroids.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/in-the-short-term-some-deadly-virus-might-be-more-important-but-in/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [So I just let go with one hand, and just sort of swung around, looked at the Earth below and the black space above…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/so-i-just-let-go-with-one-hand-and-just-sort-of-swung-around-looked/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [This whole issue of limits to growth, which provides a psychological, as well as a physical, cap on potential expansion of activity and awareness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/this-whole-issue-of-limits-to-growth-which-provides-a-psychological/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [It is not enough to do a desktop exercise of a Beethoven symphony. You need to practice with an orchestra. The musicians need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/it-is-not-enough-to-do-a-desktop-exercise-of-a-beethoven-symphony-you/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [It would take an extremely large spacecraft to deflect a large asteroid that would be headed directly for the Earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/it-would-take-an-extremely-large-spacecraft-to-deflect-a-large/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [As you pass from sunlight into darkness and back again every hour and a half, you become startlingly aware how artificial are thousands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/as-you-pass-from-sunlight-into-darkness-and-back-again-every-hour-and/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [No government in the world today has explicitly assigned the responsibility for planetary protection to any of its agencies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/no-government-in-the-world-today-has-explicitly-assigned-the/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [Americans who read the papers or watch Jay Leno have been aware for some time now that there is a slim but real possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/americans-who-read-the-papers-or-watch-jay-leno-have-been-aware-for/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [All of us know today the value of communications satellites, weather satellites, resources satellites, etc.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/all-of-us-know-today-the-value-of-communications-satellites-weather/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [I am interested in climate change and other topics too. But this thing is so huge, in the worst case we are talking about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/i-am-interested-in-climate-change-and-other-topics-too-but-this-thing/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [Landing on the moon was a dream that millions of kids have had for hundreds of years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/landing-on-the-moon-was-a-dream-that-millions-of-kids-have-had-for/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) [Explore all 40 Rusty Schweickart quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) ## More Body quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [The very purpose for being in this body, for every one of us, is to live and rejoice in that virgin area, that untouched,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/the-very-purpose-for-being-in-this-body-for-every-one-of-us-is-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [If the media is sending girls the message that their value lies in their bodies, this can only leave them feeling disempowered and distract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-siebel-newsom/if-the-media-is-sending-girls-the-message-that-their-value-lies-in/) [Jennifer Siebel Newsom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-siebel-newsom/) > [Boys and boys' body image and clothes have become just as important an issue for boys as for girls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalind-wiseman/boys-and-boys-body-image-and-clothes-have-become-just-as-important-an/) [Rosalind Wiseman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalind-wiseman/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [America, you're sending girls a mixed message. On one hand, you're saying to have positive body image and love who we are; on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/america-you-re-sending-girls-a-mixed-message-on-one-hand-you-re/) [Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [If japa is maintained, no useless talk during work will be possible. The mind will always remain peaceful. Modern day diseases are mostly psychosomatic.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mata-amritanandamayi/if-japa-is-maintained-no-useless-talk-during-work-will-be-possible/) [Mata Amritanandamayi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mata-amritanandamayi/) > [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [My friends, this body - perhaps more than any other gathering in human history - now faces that difficult task.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/my-friends-this-body-perhaps-more-than-any-other-gathering-in-human/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) [Browse all 20,814 Body quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "For the first time in history, we have the chance to change the path of a celestial body. Let's realize what we're talking about here. We would be slightly changing the mechanics of our solar system to enhance our survival. 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