For me, a rocket is only a means, only a method of reaching the depths of space and not an end in itself. There's no doubt that it's very important to have rocket ships since they will help mankind to settle elsewhere in the universe. But what I'm working for is this resettling. The whole idea is to move away from the Earth to settlements in space.

My entire life consisted of musings, calculations, practical works and trials. Many questions remain unanswered, many works are incomplete or unpublished. The most important things still lie ahead. The Earth is the cradle of humanity, but mankind cannot stay in the cradle forever.

The perspective of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, father of astronautics and rocket dynamics.