[Luis Gonzalez]

We pray for one last landing
On the globe that gave us birth;
Let us rest our eyes on the friendly skies
And the cool, green hills of Earth.

[TexasBarak]

A most appropriate post! Heinlein himself would say that we shouldn't let this stop us, but should instead expand and concentrate our efforts on more efficient spaceflight.
And, as an aside, I'm so glad that we have George W. Bush as our leader right now- a man more likely to say "We must not quit, but instead accelerate our efforts, to honor their memory", than "this isn't safe, and it's too expensive, and I"m shutting it down".

[LonePalm]

Thanks Luis, 'nuf said.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[tallhappy]

Here's the thread from the other day, Where were you when the Challenger exploded?

17 long years.

Still -- it seems like seconds, like yesterday.

_sigh_

[EternalVigilance]

[sweetliberty]

Very beautiful and timely. It is such a sad day.

[My back yard]

Glad you did this. It deserves its own thread imo.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

A very nice memorial Luis. God bless them.

[Rocko]

[Budge]

Beautiful, Luis, very apropos.

[JudyB1938]

Thank you and the others who have shared comforting words on this thread. We all cry together.

[JenB]

Thank you; this is the only thing that I thought of when I heard the news. This poem... it's the only words to say what I feel. This must not be the end...

[humblegunner]

See my profile page.
A sad day indeed.

[kassie]

My heart cries for the loss of these great people. God have mercy on their souls and comfort their loved ones.

[CounterCounterCulture]

''It kind of sounded like something hit the top of our house, almost,'' said Courtenay Hanson, 34, who was eating breakfast with her husband and children in their home north of Dallas. ``We were sitting at the kitchen table, and the house rumbled. The windows rumbled.''

They walked outside a few minutes later.

''We could see two white streaks,'' she said. ``We watched them go from over our house out into the horizon.''

Courtenay's 4-year-old daughter, Caitlin, watched the streaks and asked what had happened.

''We just said that there was an accident with a space shuttle,'' Hanson said. 'She just asked if people got hurt. We said, `Yeah, they did.' She asked if they went to Heaven. We said 'Yeah, they did.' ''

Excerpted source

[reformed_dem]

What a wonderful thread. I still remember the feeling I had 17 years ago. Today was supposed to be a happy and beautiful day - my son made his Confirmation. On our way out the door, my husband came running in and told me what happened, we turned on the TV and couldn't believe our eyes. I pray for them and their families.

[B-Chan]

[dansangel]

Thank-you for bringing this to us, Luis.

FreedomPoster: Thank-you for the ping. I am sad beyond words. May our astronauts rest in eternal peace.

[altura]

Thanks for a beautiful thread.

My sister and I wrote music to the Heinlein poem Green Hills of Earth a long time ago in what seems like a galaxy far, far away. I've always loved it.

[sneakypete]

Thank you for this thread,Luis. I can't think of a more fitting tribute.

[jwalsh07]

Very nice post Luis. God bless them on their final journey.