when i was at nasa this summer i met some astronauts, and in meeting them i felt like a 9 year old who was meeting his superheroes.
the astronauts that i met were honestly some of the most remarkable people i’ve ever had the good fortune of meeting. they were gracious and strong and courageous and smarter than all of us put together.
one could safely say that being an astronaut is possibly the most remarkable job that anyone could ever have. astronauts are in that select cadre of individuals who have left the planet. they’ve seen the earth from space. and they’ve subjected themselves to training, both physical and academic, that the rest of us can’t even begin to imagine.
it is knowing all of this that makes the loss of the 7 astronauts on the columbia all that more upsetting. the tragic loss of 7 people is always terrible and laden with pathos. but the tragic loss of 7 astronauts, these people who were the best and the brightest among us, is particularly sad and upsetting.
my most sincere condolences go out to the men and women who knew and loved these remarkable people.
moby