When I was very small we used to watch the Space Shuttle’s televised launches and landings in awe of these near superhumans who could fly into space, I remember the Challenger disaster very clearly – but remember more the way my parents and other people around me reacted to that, than how I felt at the time.
When I read the news today, I saw the pictures of the crew as they prepared to board the shuttle for the launch 16 days ago. It struck me how ordinary these people looked – not the superhumans of my childhood but ordinary people doing quite extraordinary things. May those brave and talented people rest in peace, and my thoughts and prayers go out to their families tonight.