In the brief but astonishing history of manned space exploration, a mere 500-some of the world's most accomplished scientists, educators and politicians have blasted off toward the Great Unknown.
Now we can proudly say one of those courageous individuals is Statesville's own.
Thomas Marshburn, a mission specialist aboard Space Shuttle Endeavor, grew up in Statesville, where his father was pastor First Associated Reformed Presbyterian Church in the 1960s.
Endeavor, after a 16-day mission at the International Space Station, is due to return to Earth on Friday. And sometime this fall, according to Statesville Public Information Officer Nancy Davis, Marshburn will be coming back home.
"He wants to come to Statesville and we definitely want him to," Davis told the R&L on Wednesday.
Now it's up to the City of Statesville to find an appropriate way to celebrate Marshburn's prodigious accomplishments since his family left town when he was 9.
Davis said the details of a welcome-home celebration haven't been finalized, but added, "we want to get the most bang for our buck."
We applaud city officials for their proactive approach to the event, the date of which Davis said is dependent on a variety of factors, including Marshburn's limited availability.
Whether Marshburn was backpacking from Mexico to Canada as a 20-year-old or performing a spacewalk 220 miles above Earth last week, he has never forgotten Statesville was his hometown.
Now is the time for the city to show it hasn't forgotten, either.
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