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From: john@frog.UUCP (John Woods, Software)
Newsgroups: net.columbia
Subject: Re: Challenger/depression/catharsis...
Message-ID: <334@frog.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 30-Jan-86 11:23:14 EST
Article-I.D.: frog.334
Posted: Thu Jan 30 11:23:14 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Feb-86 01:04:02 EST
References: <362@lanl.ARPA>
Organization: Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA
Lines: 32

A piece of all of our dreams died Tuesday.  We've just got to keep on
dreaming, and keep on doing something about that dream.

>I think that Joe Tourist joyrides have just slipped a little farther into the
>future.  I fervently hope that the anti-space types in Washington won't be
>able to completely kill the shuttle program and that a few years from now we
>will look back on this as we now do on the Apollo fire -- as an unfortunate
>misstep in the dangerous activity of pioneering and one which, hopefully,
>will add knowledge about safely launching future manned (peopled) missions.
> 	  Jay Wooten  Los Alamos National Lab  ARPA:jkw@lanl.ARPA

It has been noted by many commentators that the space program's popularity
peaked because of the Apollo 1 tragedy -- the public took notice, and the
public decided that the sacrifice demanded something from them.  I hope that
this tragedy has a similar effect, and that the space program manages to come
out of this stronger than before.

Perhaps the next shuttle should be named "Phoenix".

While typing this message, I happen to have looked at today's entry of my
Murphy's Law Desk Calendar -- "First Law of Travel:  It always takes longer
to get there than to get back."  We aren't there yet -- let's keep going.

--
John Woods, Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA, (617) 626-1101
...!decvax!frog!john, ...!mit-eddie!jfw, jfw%mit-ccc@MIT-XX.ARPA

This space dedicated to Challenger and her crew,
Francis R. Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith Resnik,
Ronand E. McNair, Gregory B. Jarvis, and Crista McAuliffe.

"...and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God."