The World Mourns - Your Thoughts on the Space Shuttle Columbia Tragedy

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The fact that NASA seems to have made space flight routine since Challenger is a tribute to the dedication and professionalism of the Shuttle program personnel, and the attention to detail that goes into every mission plan. Columbia is a stark and sad reminder that nothing about space flight is routine.

From mid 1992 through mid 1995, I was at the SLF at Kennedy Space Center for every STS mission. Every launch was as awe inspiring as the first one. Every landing just as white knuckled as the first. But NASA has pulled off this incredible feat hundreds of times with out incident, and will do so again.

My only hope is that the Senators and Congressmen that so mired the Challenger investigation, stay out of this one. If you want to make a name for yourselves...do something to support the space program, not slow it down.

"Ad astra per aspera"

My family and I wish to extend our tears, thoughts and prayers to the families of the astronauts and to the family of NASA. For a unusually delightful day, Saturday was also filled with sadness and grief. What little I will do for those who risked their lives and the families of those who perished, is to pledge to teach my children the benefits of our space program and introduce them to NASA through online sites and books. We did not even know that the Space Shuttle was landing that morning, I feel that we should have and we will not take that for granted from this moment on.

I am not sure what to say other than my prayers and thought are with the families who have suffered such a tremendous loss. I cannot pretend to say I understand how they are feeling, because I don't know, but I hope the families know that these absolutely wonderful people were doing what they wanted to do, to see the moon, stars and the earth from an absolutely fantastic point of view. This is something that most of us will never understand the immensity of. I envy them, I envy their focus, patience, integrity, and love. They were obviously very special people. God Bless them and their families.

To these astronauts, it was a dream come true. It is so terrible their dreams ended up a tragedy. My deepest sympathy to the children and relatives of these brave people. Still, they followed their dreams...and you must too. God Bless.

I know I can't possibly feel the pain that the family and friends of the astronauts feel at this time, but my prayers are that God will be with the families to help them through this terrible loss.

I have visited Kennedy space Center as a teenager in 1983 and saw one of the shuttles. I had visited my Mom in Florida early this January and in our family photo albums are 8x10 pictures of various shuttles. It is with a heavy heart that I reminisce about the first flight of Columbia. I remember how anxious we were during the first re-entry of Columbia. So many of us gathered around to watch this event.

We will continue to pray for the family of the astronauts....

God Bless.

My prayers are with the crew members families, and the entire NASA family. Let us learn from this tragic accident, and use our knowledge in future space endevours.

Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this terrible tragedy. The American people have had more than their fair share of sad events, and we send our love to you all.

My heart goes out to the families. My comfort lies in that the astronauts were experiencing an awesome, inspiring time before the tradgedy.

May their courage inspire us to reach higher and love more.

I am deeply saddened by the loss of the seven crew member's. My prayer's and thought's go out to all the families of these brave crew member's. God be with you.

FAR BETTER IT IS, TO HAVE DARED THE MIGHTY THINGS, THAN TO HAVE SHARED TIME WITH THOSE POOR TIMID SOULS WHO NEITHER KNOW VICTORY NOR DEFEAT.

NO WORDS CAN ASWAGE THE PAIN AND GRIEF WE AS A WORLD FEEL. WE CAN ONLY FIND COMFORT IN THE IDEA THAT, THOSE WHO HAVE LAID DOWN THIER LIVES IN THE PERSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE, HAVE DONE SO THAT THE GIFT OF LIFE CAN BE PASSED FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER.

MAY WHATEVER GOD YOU HOLD MOST HOLY : KEEP YOU AND COMFORT YOU.

My prayers and thoughts are with the families of those astronauts who lost their lives. My family gives them our condolences. If there is anything we can do to help here in TENNESSE, please let me know.

This was such a shock, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. We just had the radio on. They were talking about an explosion in the Dallas area, so I was worried, I have family there. Then the DJ said the space shuttle had lost communications. My husband said, "I wonder if the space shuttle has anything to do with the explosion?" And of course the next report was just that. I was so saddened-I could just picture all the families at Cape Canaveral watching the sky and waiting, and my heart and prayers just went out to them. I hope they know that we all feel for them and wish we could help them. My 4 year old even said that he wishes they could have come back to earth. Just know you have them with you always, in your hearts and memories. They are with you.

I was deeply saddened by the loss of 7 brave and honorable human lives. I am greatly in their debt for their service to NASA, not only to our country, but to all mankind. I'll never forget their smiling faces, shining optimism, and jaunty walk while boarding the Columbia.

May God embraace their souls and comfort their families during this time of mourning.

God Bless.

I once wanted to be an astronaut- my thoughts and prayers go out to those brave souls who had the strength and fortitude to make their dreams come true. They died doing what they loved and they will never be forgotten for their sacrifice.

I'm not a young man, so I was around when we lost the crew of Apollo 1, Challenger and now Columbia.

Tragedy repeated this way doesn't lessen. The mistakes made are different. We are human. We make mistakes. And it is only in those mistakes that we learn, change, and strive on.

My "Three Patches" goes from a tone of speaking of others to the realization that *we* are made of the same stuff.

And none of us has a monopoly on death, just as none have a monopoly on life.

Poems by their very nature deliver an emotional message, not an intellectual, yet all language-even poetry- is a medium of shared experience.

Three Patches

(Jack C Lipton)

hopes and dreams fly yet
carried in courageous hearts
for the multitudes fear the future
and few are those with sight

life is not for faint of heart
ne'er death a threat to life
for a life lived safe is sterile
courage makes our death defied

a life you'd gladly give
is never taken it is true
such charity is how the race lives
extinction fought anew

for we love those who lead us
into frontiers death does hold
management here may deny us
but we walk before we're told

whose life is it on the line
is it mine or is it yours?
gladly I go in to that breach
and hold it for your soul

heroes they may call us
though we only are but men
our roles we let define us
though we remain merely men

fear not for our safety
for it's ours to fear not yours
we push back against the night
for you and you and yours.

Jack C Lipton

On the anniversary of "Challenger", a friend and I were discussing what we were doing on that day, what our feelings were and our general sense of disbelief on that day in 1986.

Am I dreaming? Has history repeated? I greeted this news with the same disbelief and numbness that I felt 17 years ago. Deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of those lost.

I watched "Columbia's" first launch in 1981, and I saw it in the night sky as it flew over Melbourne only last week. I was as awestruck then as I was in '81.

"You'll never walk alone". God Speed Columbia!

To the seven astronauts, their families, NASA and all mourners: These seven brave people, citizens of the world community faced the risks of space flight bravely, putting this risk aside to further the knowledge of all mankind in the curious exploration for age old sought after questions of our universe. I am grateful to they were willing to free their human fears in search of our future.

My thoughts are with the families of the seven brave astronauts and with our Nation. The seven human beings lost in the Columbia tragedy were on a quest to be the best they could be, something the rest of us need to strive for as well and something I am committed to from this day forward.