[anniegetyourgun]

All seven astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia were killed after it broke up just 16 minutes from its scheduled landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 1, 2003, the U.S. space agency NASA said. "The loss of this valiant crew is something we will never be able to get over," NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said at a news briefing. A December 20, 2002 file photo shows (L-R) Mission Commander Rick Husband, Pilot William McCool, Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon (the first Israeli astronaut), Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist David Brown, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialist Laurel Clark and Kalpana Chawla. Photo by Joe Skipper/Reuters

[PleaseNoMore]

"16 minutes before their scheduled landing...."

God, they were so close. I was really feeling so horribly sad earlier then I began to contemplate on the fact that these folks were realizing their dreams to be an astronaut, to venture into the wonderous area we know as space. How many of us actually get to realize our wildest dreams? How many of us will ever travel into heaven's backyard and get to view the stars individually named by God? I hope that that fact will be some consolation and inspiration to all who grieve for them.

[Optimist]

Perhaps they are not the stars,
but rather openings in heaven
where the love of our
lost ones pours through
and shines down upon us
to let us know
they are happy.

Eskimo Legend