Testimony of Healing May 2, 1964 Issue

During the past several years I...

Donald van Zelm Wadsworth

During the past several years I have been working on a number of space projects connected with earth satellite, lunar, and interplanetary missions. Throughout this period the understanding of Christian Science has helped me to solve technical engineering problems and those of human relations. For example, while working as part of a team, I have been particularly concerned with setting up the technical specifications which enable an electronic computer to steer a launch rocket into the correct orbit.

While preparing to launch our first satellite, our team was under considerable pressure not to make any mistakes, since the reputation of the company's guidance system would be at stake. Humanly speaking, the probability of failure seemed very high—a new and extremely complex electromechanical system was being tried out. In fact, several attempts by other organizations to place a satellite in a similar orbit had ended in failure, due to human errors.

During the months of preparation we checked and rechecked all calculations and removed any conceivable sources of trouble in the electronic equipment or guidance programs. I realized this was still not enough. As the firing date drew near, I prayed to know that there was one divine Mind governing all, not many human minds which could make mistakes. I did not share the common belief that chance needed to be a factor, but, rather, relied on the thought expressed by Mary Baker Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 427): "Immortal Mind, governing all, must be acknowledged as supreme in the physical realm, so-called, as well as in the spiritual."

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