Author: Sarita Sharda

After spending 178 days aboard the International Space Station, astronaut Ron Garan returned to Earth carrying something far heavier than mission data: a transformed understanding of humanity. From orbit, Earth does not look divided by countries or borders. It appears as a single radiant blue sphere suspended in darkness. No lines separate continents. No flags mark territory. Human conflicts, so fierce and consuming on the ground, seem suddenly diminished. What becomes undeniable instead is our shared connection. The atmosphere, a paper-thin blue halo, looks almost invisible, yet it is the only shield protecting every forest, ocean and breath of life.…