eem@jc3b21.UUCP (Emery E. Mandel) (02/01/86)
As a longtime supporter of the manned space exploration program, I am deeply sorrowed by the loss of the Challenger seven and the loss of the orbiter itself. Although it could take quite some time to uncover the cause of the explosion, the exploration of space must and will go on. In the exploration of space, there will be losses occasionally but the benefits of exploration outweigh the cost of attaining these benefits although we must never forget those who are lost in this exploration. The words that President Reagan used in his speech Tuesday afternoon greatly comforted me. As a witness of the first and second and third launches of Columbia, I was especially shocked by the news of the explosion. As I watched the launches, I never thought possible for such a thing to happen. I'm sure others on the net feel the same way. As far as the renaming of the net is concerned, I think it would be an excellent reminder and tribute to the crew of Challenger. I'm not sure what the technical effects would be. As I understand, the renaming of a net isn't one of the easiest things to get done. It is a very good suggestion, though! "We will never forget them nor the last time we saw them, this morning as they waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of Earth to touch the face of God." Emery Mandel UUCP: jc3b21!eem