When astrophysicist Carl Sagan saw Earth as an illuminated pixel in a photograph taken by Voyager 1 from 3.7 billion miles away, he reflected on humanity’s place in the universe in his book Pale Blue Dot (1994):
“The aggregate of our joy and suffering. Thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines. Every hunter and forager. Every hero and coward. Every creator and destroyer of civilization. Every king and peasant. Every young couple in love. Every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer. Every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician. Every superstar. Every supreme leader. Every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there, on a mote of dust, suspended in a sunbeam.”
On September 15th, 2024, while eight billion people went about their lives, Oyster River High School (ORHS) class of 1992 alumnus Scott “Kidd” Poteet looked down at the Earth from his spaceship window.
Thirty-two years after his graduation, Poteet presented in the ORHS auditorium, which was packed with students eager to learn about his journey.
As the audience leaned forwards, he clicked through an awe-inspiring slideshow of mission photos. Poteet said this experience induced “The Overview Effect,” which is often described by astronauts as a “profound, transformative experience where the boundaries and conflicts between nations seem insignificant compared to the shared nature of life on Earth.”
Poteet never thought his education would make him a qualified pilot for mission Polaris Dawn.
When he was a student at ORHS, he focused primarily on sports. “I neglected my studies. I ended up with C’s and D’s just because it wasn’t a priority,” said Poteet. “I thought sports were more important, and that even continued into college.”
Poteet shared his good fortune of being recruited to run at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) despite his ongoing academic challenges. To motivate his studies, he found outdoor education, which he described as “education through experience.”
Soon thereafter, he joined the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) to become a fighter pilot, even though the colonel was hesitant in his capabilities. “I was told by the colonel at the ROTC program: ‘There’s no chance you’re going to be a pilot, but you can join the organization.’” Poteet considered this information and said, “Challenge accepted.”
But he wasn’t always shooting for the stars. “Space was never on my bucket list,” said Poteet, who didn’t believe he could become an astronaut. “Becoming an astronaut was the peak of human existence. You had to be the smartest and fittest.”
Despite these doubts, after excelling in the ROTC program, he was selected for mission Polaris Dawn. The mission, operated by SpaceX on behalf of billionaire crewmate Jared Isaacman, marked a historic milestone in space exploration. “It’s the first time in history all four astronauts were involved in the spacewalk,” said Poteet, emphasizing the mission’s unprecedented success.
But as these milestones come to fruition, questions arise about humanity’s priorities.
During the question-and-answer session following Poteet’s presentation, students asked questions ranging from “What did you see in space?” to “Do you think the answer to preserving the future of humanity lies in outer space?”
Should space exploration be the focus when Earth is the only confirmed planet capable of housing life? While some argue that resources should be spent preserving the planet, Poteet offers an answer for both parties. “A lot of our attention and resources should be dedicated to preserving the planet we already have, but [space exploration is] also an insurance policy to see what is alive out there,” suggesting that exploration and conservation can coexist.
Consider Sagan’s conclusion:
“Like it or not, the Earth is where we make our stand. It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot. The only home we’ve ever known.”
—Ulysses Smith MOR
media courtesy of Scott “Kidd” Poteet
Mouth of the River 
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