hiddenmuse (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
hiddenmuse) wrote2003-02-01 09:42 pm
hiddenmuse) wrote2003-02-01 09:42 pm
Just Like Everyone Else
The news of the Columbia shuttle going down took me by surprise. Just a few days ago, it was the 17th anniversary of the Challenger explosion/disaster.
Something you hear of in movies and in scientific theory happened in actuality - the shuttle essentially vaporized upon hitting the Earth's atmosphere. Listening to the coverage on NPR, I heard someone from NASA comment that the Columbia hadn't been used in over 25 years - so the interior had to be completely updated (computers & such).
At risk of sounding ignorant/snarky/immature, I just want to say that it was a very sad way to learn that while one can gut rehab a house or a car, it doesn't work as well on space shuttles. I have nothing against the whole idea of reusing the space shuttles when possible - but perhaps there should be a time limit. Like after 5 years or so, it goes to the NASA junk heap - kept around for parts at best.
In the meantime, we're reeling from the shock. We knew of the risks involved in space travel, even the risks involved in ascending and descending. Yet we'd become confident after having a few successful missions. The Hubble Space Telescope needing its lens cap removed (as well as needing new lenses - sounds familiar to anyone with vision problems) and the loss of the satellite to Mars due to not converting the Metric to English (I hate when that happens!) notwithstanding.
I think we will pull through - we are all resilient people. Still, it's hard to comprehend the gravity of the situation and the lives lost.
Put on your tiaras, crowns, or pirate hat - and listen to something besides the news for an hour. Since we can't do much besides be mere bystanders observing the wreckage on near-constant loop on television - we should try to keep our sanity intact and live our lives. That's all there is for us to do.
Something you hear of in movies and in scientific theory happened in actuality - the shuttle essentially vaporized upon hitting the Earth's atmosphere. Listening to the coverage on NPR, I heard someone from NASA comment that the Columbia hadn't been used in over 25 years - so the interior had to be completely updated (computers & such).
At risk of sounding ignorant/snarky/immature, I just want to say that it was a very sad way to learn that while one can gut rehab a house or a car, it doesn't work as well on space shuttles. I have nothing against the whole idea of reusing the space shuttles when possible - but perhaps there should be a time limit. Like after 5 years or so, it goes to the NASA junk heap - kept around for parts at best.
In the meantime, we're reeling from the shock. We knew of the risks involved in space travel, even the risks involved in ascending and descending. Yet we'd become confident after having a few successful missions. The Hubble Space Telescope needing its lens cap removed (as well as needing new lenses - sounds familiar to anyone with vision problems) and the loss of the satellite to Mars due to not converting the Metric to English (I hate when that happens!) notwithstanding.
I think we will pull through - we are all resilient people. Still, it's hard to comprehend the gravity of the situation and the lives lost.
Put on your tiaras, crowns, or pirate hat - and listen to something besides the news for an hour. Since we can't do much besides be mere bystanders observing the wreckage on near-constant loop on television - we should try to keep our sanity intact and live our lives. That's all there is for us to do.