hollande@DEWEY.UDEL.EDU (Frank Hollander) (02/03/86)
I haven't seen it mentioned yet, but I think this is very important. I think that the "makeup" of the Challenger crew has, and will have a lot to do with how the public responds to the tragedy. It don't want to sound too much like James Watt, but we had 2 women, a black, an Asian, and a teacher. All U.S. citizens; a great set of heroes. Consider how the public would have responded to the crew being all-white male? Or perhaps if the shuttle had been lost during an all-military mission. Look around you and see how people care (or don't care) about the 3 men who died 19 years ago. If a shuttle had to explode, then this was (perhaps) the ideal mission for it to happen. With the teacher on board, the public awareness was high. I think that now the space program has the best chance of succeeding (or failing) by the strength of its own merit. This tragedy brings the space program down to human proportions, which keeps the public more interested. Whether the interest is positive or negative will have much to do with the future of the U.S. space program So far, the naysaying has been (I think) superficial. Let us hope that it stays that way in the days, weeks, months, and years ahead. Let us pick up the pieces and go on. Frank Hollander