A year after shuttle tragedy, NASA aims higher: Space agency turns to hope in year of mourning
Seven astronauts on board shuttle Columbia
I can still remember it as if it was yesterday...I was sitting at the kitchen table listening to the radio and reading the newspaper, much as I do every Saturday morning. Then the phone rang, and it was Adam calling. "The shuttle blew up!" were the first words out of his mouth. As you might imagine, the import of those words took a moment to sink in. When I turned on the TV, I discovered to my horror that something had indeed gone horribly wrong. Suddenly, my quiet Saturday morning became a horrible recitation of tragedy and death on an almost unimaginable scale.
Here in Houston, the Columbia disaster hit us pretty hard, particularly those of us who live near the Johnson Space Center. We live four miles from JSC, and my office is less than a half-mile away. All of us in this area know someone connected with NASA, whether directly or indirectly. This tragedy hit our family hard, since the father of Adam's best friend was the pilot of Columbia. Imagine being barely old enough to vote, and while waiting at Cape Canaveral finding out that your father has been scattered over East Texas. As if that reality isn't difficult enough, you then have to cope with that reality being broadcast ad infinitum, ad nauseum over every imaginable network worldwide. Yes, it's been a rough year for Adam's friend, but he seems to be dealing with his grief about as well as could reasonably be expected under the circumstances.
This is why today, even though I am excited about the Super Bowl, my thoughts will not altogether be on football. Last year at this time I was writing about a tragedy almost beyond comprehension (scroll to near the bottom). Today, a football game seems rather insignificant by comparison.
I hope that the people who have come to Houston and the millions who will watch the game on television will enjoy thoroughly enjoy themselves. I also hope that they will take time to remember those seven astronauts who died over Texas a year ago today. They should have been able to watch the game with their families.
