Shutterbug Strasse

Posted by Bold Eagle on February 02, 2003 at 17:30:52

In Reply to: Sadly we lost a Space Shuttle and it's crew, this is the 113th launch.I photo'd the 100th posted by Joe M on February 01, 2003 at 10:40:19:

I worked for NADSA in Houston for 4 years from 1964-the end of '67. I was there when the Apollo fire occured with spacecraft 203. I had worked with Ed White in 1965 on the first US spacewalk (co-designer of the manuevering unit he used)and got to know him a little, and he died in the fire along with Grissom and Chaffee. It was a sad day. Later, I watched the shuttle explosion with horror, and it brought back all the bad memories of the fire. Now we have another disaster, and I'm reliving it all again. It's very sad.

We must remember these are all Heroes. Not for going into space, but for volunteering and accepting the very great risks. They believe in the program and to them the goal is more important than the risks and trhat's what a Hero is.

This is a far cry from stepping onto a scheduled airliner. Despite everyone's best attempts to reduce risk, it is terribly dangerous. Every launch and every re-entry is a great risk. The risks of the lunar landing were beyond belief. Still they volunteer, and still they fly.

We can only admire and honor their courage.

Jerry