Sun Feb 02, 2003 5:02 am
Terrible news, tragic for the loved ones of this brave crew, and the larger NASA family.
And brave they were, space travel IS dangerous, the Astronauts know this well.
But, air travel was dangerous a couple of generations ago.
I feel a much like I did on 25th July 2000, and 28th January 1986.
We had some small links with NASA, 5 years ago United Space Alliance came to see how we maintain a tiny fleet of specialized vehicles, they helped with questions about tyre specs in the aftermath of the AF crash and sent their good wishes when we relaunched in November 2001.
I hope that once the causes are found, NASA can relaunch again.
A Shuttle replacement is needed, it was before today, but that is not informed by speculation of today's terrible event, just the need to make spaceflight cheaper and yes safer.
Stopping now would be like stopping jetliners after the Comet 1 crashes, imagine if NASA had not carried on after the Apollo 1 fire.
Air travel safety today has been bought with the lives of many test pilots, most of whomn are not well known, who died pushing the frontiers, for us all.
I will not speculate on the possible causes, if I had been on here in 2000, I'm sure that I would have got very cross at ill-informed speculation of the loss of F-BTSC, there is quite enough of that in the media anyway.
Sure I have my own thoughts, but I'm a million miles from being any kind of expert on the Shuttle and it is so early to try to.
I hope the USA can carry on their great work at NASA, despite their obvious sorrow, also condolences to Israel and to India, as one of the female Astronauts was Indian born and I read only yesterday of the pride and inspiration she had given to the nation.