Incoherent babble about space

[geminigirl]

In my perpetual complaints about my hatred of my science courses, and my lack of understanding of many things scientific, I've always had a love for space...and often dreamed of going into space. Growing up I watched every launch I could (ones that weren't on while I was supposed to be sleeping) until Challenger. After Challenger, the school decided it wasn't such a good idea anymore. Every time the shuttle passed overhead where I could see it from home, I'd tried to look.

I woke up this morning to news about Columbia. And I can't do anything but weep, and sit in stunned silence at the pictures. If one could have a favorite shuttle, Columbia was mine. I'd watched it since I was 4 or 5 years old. I'd drawn pictures of it when I was growing up. There's always been something incredible to me about space travel, space shuttles...

And today, I'm just sad. Terribly sad. Stunned that just barely 17 years after the Challenger explosion that I'm watching this again.

I'm just...numb.

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Hi. I don't read your posts regularly, but I was looking through Rivka's friends page, and saw this. I'm a for-real space cadet (professional astronomer with three astronomical missions now), and I have a real appreciation for you and people like you. It's your dreams that keep us going.

*hug* across the miles.

All of us who work in the space biz know it's risky. Doesn't make a damn bit of difference at times like this, at least not as far as feeling the loss. But it helps to remember that no matter how carefully we manage the risk, it doesn't ever go away.

[geminigirl]

Thank you. I wept again, when I read your reply. And when I first saw the flags at Kennedy at half staff, and now as I write this, the White House.

Thank you for reminding me that that dream of mine is important. It's still beautiful. I still want to be up there one day, just to look. Even after this.

I hope that it was quick and they didn't suffer. I hope they knew that they were loved. And that there were people who believed in them.

I still believe. I still want to go.

[http://users.livejournal.com/grimkitten_/]

It's a tragidy. Today was like a flashback of 1986. I can't believe this happened again. It's so sad.