My father was in the USAF back in the early 60s and did a lot of PR work for
the space program.  He was a big supporter of the USAF space program and
NASA, and had several models of the early rockets as well as stamps and
coins.    He was devastated by the Challenger accident in 1986, and I know
the explosion yesterday would have torn him up.  He truly believed space
exploration was our future.

Kat


----- Original Message -----
From: "Elizabeth H. Thiers" <[log in to unmask]>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.c-palsy
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 02, 2003 7:44 AM
Subject: Re: A Sad Day a personal experience


> We are directly impacted by this very sad occurance.  While we didn't know
> any of the astronauts personally, my husband is the last of a dieing breed
a
> real live NASA employee working on the orbiter.  Well, techinically, he
> works in VAB with the booster stacking operation.
> When people tell me we should be spending more money on the poor and
> questioning the need for the space program, I have to think about our
little
> community here by the sea.  While Brevard has worked hard in
> diversiving(sp?) its economy, here in Florida diversifying means service
> economy.  The space program was more than that, it's a way of life here.
> People are proud to work for the program, it provides good wages in a
state
> with an average household income in $30,000.  It supports educational
> programs, creates new products, and is the source of endless dreams.  The
> space program was not perfect and needed an overhaul, what it especially
> needed was a mandate without politicians constantly changing their minds
and
> causing cost overflows.
> My husband was working overtime yesterday when it happened.  There is a
work
> stoppage right now, we know it will be several months before we will know
> exactly what that will happen.
> We ask for people to pray for the families of the astronauts, the
astronauts
> on the space station and the lives of the men and women who work on the
> space program.
> And on a practical note, to please call, write or email your congress
people
> to let them know what you think of the program.
>
>
> Beth T. the OT
>
>
> Subject: A Sad Day
>
>
> We woke up this morning and a friend emailed me about the space shuttle
> exploding over Texas. I thought he was joking and turned on my TV. Sadly
my
> frriend was not joking. I have been watching a statewide cable news
channel
> and they report that debris has been reported over east and southeast
Texas
> from Tyler down through just north of Houston which covers 12 counties in
> Texas and areas of Louisiana. Unbelievably, even though the massive
warnings
> about the toxicity of the debris, there have been reports of people
walking
> off with "souvenirs". This is so sad and Joyce and I remember another sad
> day
> here in Austin in November 22, 1963.
>
> Bobby