Space shuttle Columbia disaster

Space shuttle Columbia broke apart in flames as it streaked over Texas toward its landing strip this morning, killing all seven astronauts, six Americans and an Israeli. Please use this area to share your feelings and condolences.
Read the story: Space shuttle Columbia break into flames over Texas, killing all seven astronauts aboard
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Sixteen years after the Challenger disaster, it is amazing what we take for granted. A space shuttle landing is usually reserved for the end of a newscast, or for the little info bar that blazes along the bottom of our screens. We forget just how perilous these 'routine' missions are, and we forget just how brave the individuals who pilot these giant metal machines are. My prayers go out to the families of the Columbia crew; we won't forget them or their loved ones' accomplishments. I hope this tragedy won't be used to curtail the efforts of the space program, of which the benefits to humankind have been tremendous.

Hal, Boston College

My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the Columbia crew, and with NASA as a whole. The shuttle broke up almost directly above me, and it has been surreal to see footage of the wreckage that lies south and east of here.

Kathleen , Red Oak, Texas

My heart and my prayers go out to the families and friends of the seven lost today. "What are we doing here? We're reaching for the stars" -Christa McAuliffe

Kris, Cambridge, MA

I truly feel that NASA and the International Space Station are strong beacons of hope for America and the world. As sad as it is today to have lost the seven astronauts, it will not be the end, and their deaths are not in vein. We should try to see the great things that our space program has given us. From amazing technological advances to dreams of world peace. Astronauts are examples of greatness this entire world has to offer.

Denise

quote from Robert Kennedy's address to the Democratic National Convention-taken from Romeo and Juliet.."when he shall die take him and cut him out into stars and he shall make the face of heaven so fine that all the world will be in love with night and pay no worship to the garish sun."

Luiza, Franklin

When I first saw the headline "Contact lost with shuttle", I figured the shuttle was orbiting and there might be some radio problem. Only when I turned on the TV did I learn to my horror that the contact was lost during reentry. The video immediately said what the headline was hesitant to: the shuttle is gone. These men and women represent the best and the brightest the world has to offer. Their deaths are sad and I pray for them and their families. I hope that we will know what happened, and that the spirit that drove these people to explore is not diminished by this tragedy. At the same time, their loss serves as a reminder of all those that have died doing thier jobs: from the 9/11 victims, to an army private that dies in a helicopter training accident, they are all deserving of our respect and sympathy.

John, Brighton

My wife and I have spent much of the last day crying. We mourn the loss of the seven astronauts on Columbia. We cry for their families and friends. What is in some ways worst is the pain we feel at the thought that there will be those who insist that this is "proof" we should abandon the space program. The exploration of space is not only an adventure. While national pride is linked to it, the reach for space is a part of the dreams of all humanity. In the long run, all the initial steps, including the losses experienced with Apollo 1, the Challenger, and now Columbia, will prove to have been worthwhile. Whether through scientific advances, ways to get new raw materials or energy for use on Earth, or as a step to provide new room for the expansion of the human race, the space programs of the U.S. and the rest of the world offer hope to all of us. This does not lessen the immediate pain we feel at this loss. The crew of Columbia was made up of people we'd have loved to be able to join, and to help. The worst memorial we could make for them would be a granite block resting on the remains of the space program that they devoted their lives to. The best way to commemorate them is with love, and by making their names part of the history of the human path into space, as we improve and expand the manner in which we reach toward new worlds. Ad astra per aspera....

Andrew, Auburn, NH

My family and I were at Cape Canavaral for Lift off on Jan 16. All I could think of watching was my Guidance Councilor in Jr. High who was closely connected to the McAuliff Family and Deeply affected by the Challenger Flight. I reflected on how it must have felt watching. And now, after having seen this Flight First hand, i felt a connection. I am saddened to see this tragedy and I pray for their families!

M.N, Woburn

i was listening to one of the astronaut's mother talk about what this work meant to her son. i saw the resignation and acceptance in her eyes as it was tempered with the knowledge that he paid the ultimate price for his dream. a very bittersweet moment for me as i also saw the contrast between all of this incredibly high tech and extraordinary stuff and the simplicity of a mother's love (and grief). God Bless them all.

larry, Everett

My prayers go out to the families, friends and NASA colleagues of the lost Columbia crew. I am shocked and dismayed that after the Challenger event in 1986, apparently safety issues are still not top priority at NASA, statements to the contrary not withstanding. If NASA was aware of a major "chunk" of External Tank insulation hitting, and quite likely damaging, the most sensitive area underneath the shuttle's left wing, the giving of a "green light" to return needs serious program review. As a child I grew up with the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo moon shots, which heavily influenced my decision to enter the engineering field of study. Back then, a different public priority was in place to take pride in US space exploration. Today, unfortunately, short sighted congressional/presidential NASA budget cuts are apparently having a horrific, tragic, and preventable effect. Public awareness of Shuttle landings will forever be altered.

Richard, Lowell, MA