European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 14, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes Friday february 14.1986 letters challenger seven Are now part of our history ,. I vat arc of onion into a Dolce. Pion pioneers have always risked their lives to push Buck the frontiers of our knowledge. Many have lost their lives most name Lessly so that the generation coming after them might have a brighter future. We have Al ways sent our Brave Young men and women out to conquer new worlds knowing full Well thai they might never return. None Ever left without choosing to go. That same Choice was made by the seven member Crew of the space shuttle challenger. The seven who dared and lost arc a part of our history now. Like former pioneers these men and women chose to risk their lives to gain valuable knowledge for future generations. We owe it to the memory of the challenger Crew to be firm in our resolve that space will be conquered. We owe it to them to Sec that their lives were not spent in vain that the american spirit our desire to attain the Frontier of space is not Damp ened but rather that we thirst for it even Mure. For the children being born today to Morrow is in space. The challenger Crew risked All and lost All to make that future brighter for those children. Let us resolve to make their dreams come True. For those of us left to Ponder the future we must see to it that Mankind makes it to the stars that tomorrow s to Morrow will see a so acc space Center on the Moon a Smith space platform Mcnair City on Mars an Onizuka Institute of space flight Jarvis telecommunications Center a Rucsnik space station and soon very soon a new shuttle named the Christa Mcauliffe. For we can Only Honor our he roes by going on. They did and they urge us on to tomorrow. Sgt James p. Vannest Erlanger Germany in Light of the recent space shuttle trag Edy i would like to express a fervent Hope that the loss of seven Fine and Brave people would not cause an intelligent and in formed Public to lose Faith in our struggle to conquer the last known Frontier. I Hope that the delay in the Progress of the space program will be minimal and that the Public will support wholeheartedly the future of our quest. We should understand that there is no possibility for a situation to be absolutely Safe. There is More risk in driving to work than Riding on the shuttle. Nasa will never Lack for volunteers to go on the missions no matter How spectacular the danger. It is part of the human condition to have a pioneering spirit. Psychologically we need the space pro Gram la help us even for a Brief moment to lift our eyes from the polluted Earth and see Hope in the exploration of space As part of the solution to our future As a civilization. I would Hope that the message of the president would be taken to heart rather than some representatives who appear to be uninformed As to the Worth already realized and the future benefits of the space program. The space program is a source of National Pride. There is a tremendous sympathy for the families. Let us not con tribute to the unsympathetic death of a Universal dream. Let those flames Light the Way to the fulfilment of the dream of those astronauts and All others concerned for Humankind. Sandy Spalka Mannheim Germany i believe that there is wide support for the manned exploration of space despite the personal views of some budget conscious congressmen. The Fate of the challenger s Crew has brought us closer together we must take advantage of this to show our nation s support of a program that has brought us so Many technological and life saving benefits i propose naming the next shuttle challenger ii seems inappropriate funded by contributions from across the land it will be evidence that we can work together for the future Good while not forgetting the past. The German civilians i work with Are just As disturbed As we Are. The same is Likely True with the French the japanese and yes even the soviets. This shared feel ing of loss underlies the next proposal which while even More difficult to achieve will have a far greater Impact on the future. At present the United states and the three nations mentioned above Are going separate ways in bringing about the com Mercial exploitation of space. Why not Lay Down our ideological differences and nationalism for once and in the spirit of Geneva Combine our talents and resources in an International Effort. The next generation of shuttles along with the possible space stations must be the result of an International Effort divorced from both the military and politicians. This is a lofty goal and plan Ning must begin soon but it will be the first step toward the reconciliation of other differences. Do Ginsburg Worms Germany it feels like a great Hole has been torn in the fragile fabric of our everyday lives that will not soon be repaired. I As most peo ple Shook in utter disbelief As the shuttle disappeared in flames on Jan. 28. This loss is especially sad to me because i am currently competing for entry into the shuttle program. Because of this i am deeply touched by the Way that not Only our nato allies but All countries around the world have responded to this disaster. In conjunction with this however there is a disturbing Side that has appeared. Many soldiers in my unit have continued to make cold and heartless comments about the explosion. Most of these soldiers comment on How they feel it is a waste that astronauts be put on spaceships when robots and computers can do it but that human astronaut will try using the Corner of the Flathead Blade will try twisting the screw Between thumb and forefinger will try anything in fact and eventually that screw will be in. The key Here is adaptability. Humans have it robots Don manned program is dreadfully important to you and your children and your grandchildren. It s important to All of humanity. Seven of our fellow citizens seven precious irreplaceable human beings have been lost eradicated in a Blaze of White hot flame never to laugh or love or even breathe again. They have died. But people die in air planes and trains and ships at sea. They die on highways and in subway tunnels. People die on escalators and in elevators in Bay toilets and bathtubs. People in Short die. Mankind will go into space and we will take death with us. We Are imperfect and that which we build is imperfect and there will be accidents and tragedies now and forever. Those seven Gallant astronauts even is. Mcauliffe in spite of what Tom Brokaw tried to Tell us knew the risks and they did not deem these risks too great. They did not think the potential Price was too great to pay and i for one will not presume to dispute them. Clearly it was a Price they were willing to pay. But it could be that they died in vain. All it would take would be for our resolve to soften enough to turn us away from our future in space. All it would take would be for us to listen to those voices of timidity. Jonathan Andrew Sheen Heidelberg an open letter to Christa Mcauliffe her family and friends you were going on a special journey for us. A teacher who could make each and everything. It has indeed become a sad Day when american citizens and soldiers give up their lives attempting to do what they Felt every one of us feel As if we were in space was their duty and More sympathy is children grow up wishing on stars. You shown by our Host nation the German were reaching out to them. We All look to people than by our own soldiers. Heroes Are few and far Between and it is becoming harder and harder for our children to find people to look up to. Astronauts have always fit into that role Model because they dare something that few of us can Ever do. To those few Ameri cans who want to make jokes about this the sky and wonder about the world god has created. How could you not desire to see it As he must tragedy is but a fact of life. We will not know Why this has happened but we take Consolation in knowing you Are with our creator now. He is after All the greatest teacher of All. Perhaps he was ready for disaster i feel no anger for you Only pity. I you to do a special Job for him. Pity you that your life is so empty of your families will miss you All to dear humor that you feel this can be made into a comical situation. I for one am not laughing. Name withheld Bremerhaven Germany already when the wreckage that fell into the Ocean has barely cooled some thing ugly is beginning to happen some thing potentially far More tragic some thing with consequences that could shape the future of All humanity. Already in the questions of reporters in the attitudes i m seeing and hearing among our legislators and our govern ment is the notion that manned space flight is not Worth its Cost. This notion must not be permitted to flourish must not be allowed to stand unchallenged for More far More than the proverbial handful of rocks depends on it. Your children s future depends on it. It s been said that what astronauts do in space they do inefficiently that robots could do better. Robot fans will ask you to pick a task any task and drag out charts and figures to prove that a robot could do it faster and better. Possibly they la be right. But a robot can do Only one thing. It performs it s reprogrammed task very Well but it cannot respond cannot react cannot adjust cannot acclimate itself. U cannot adapt nor can it improvise. A robot with a built in Flathead screwdriver will perhaps screw in a Hun dred flatheads for every one a human astronaut will. But if it meets a Phillips head it s sunk. It will stand there futilely rotating its Flathead until the end of time and that screw will go in not a millimetre far ther. By. They must try to take Consolation in their Faith Faith that what you were doing was an important step for Mankind knowing these things will not make their grieving any less but May help in their Healing process. Susan a. Anderson we Bruecken a Germany i am very thankful that two teachers from Dodds were selected to be among the 114 chosen As semifinalists in the first teacher in space program because of what it brought to the students of these teach ers. It helped to make them and the rest of us overseas feel a part of the larger american Community. It s not easy living overseas and moving eve three or four years. It s not easy to Tea a part of a Community or school. The taking of civilians into space has to be a boost to National spirit for the program. A fact that. Dodds personnel were included certainly gave a boost to Pride in our country. Members of our Dod and Dodds Community and our students Effort a re act be a Tercel " this National certainly no one could have foreseen import fit a Lent Nurt Matt. . _ _. Risks of going into space. Pioneers u have and always will. No Frontier in out risk. Our Challenge now is to pro. And explore and occupy this Frontier. The challenger must be ret now while the Assembly line is still l without a challenger ii the entire Gram will be delayed and a foothold will be much More establish. Developing new frontiers has paid off but Seldom in the Short a always including human life in this Dick Scobee Mike Smith in Judy Resnik Ellison Onizuka i Nair and Christa Mcauliffe have 4jj their place in history. My sym with their families whose tragic i be magnified by the intense Mankind is the poorer for the i seven astronauts. We must not Letrus have died in vain. C Sam Pierce mass Elk Germany. Perhaps my suppressed tears i from knowing that Pilot Mike Smith or of a master s degree in Aeron engineering a Vietnam Veteran wit combat missions had just flown u Mission one in which combat had declared and the enemy time had t masquerading As his ally. I found myself wiping my eyes As it about Judy Resnik attractive single the Holder of a doctorate in elec Neering and i am sure the red Hope and Pride of women and wide who knew that sex Dii dirty word. My tears were for command of Scobee who put off promotion commitment to give anything to his dream of one More shuttle miss i read about it. Col. Ellison ska the Nice a japanese a a former teacher at the air Rori lest Pilot school at Edwards fab and the possessor of a master s aerospace engineering. Gregory Jarvis a former air it Tain turned civilian Engineer who i himself As a Workaholic who awaited his Chance to Fly in up seems ironic or maybe just Una Haj bumped from two earlier shuttle m to the ill fated one of Jan. 28,1986, it is a bump into history. Physicist Ronald e. Mcnair second Black astronaut to travel in his academic prowess was too Gri him to be overlooked As men were to be astronauts. He held a do physics and was the recipient of _. Scholastic awards. I know that hit Plis ments could not be impeded of his race nor could his a con " prevent him from a Fate with share the history books with crewmen. As i read about Sharon Christa life like so Many other americ seems to be a special place in reserved for her. Her dream. Her her touched so Many of the cords that common people touch v it s understandable she seemed sous All. James k. Flack Heidelberg in the Wake of the challenger we would like to express our firm of the Man in space program Angularly the shuttle program and we a new shuttle be built. F to make the process of building shuttle less costly to create a living a a How Lons a Al to the challenger seven and eve off i a americans to directly part idol of every Day. Every word and act Cha Miller once to the Quality of life of those round you. We Alletto Beer Thule Susan leu Wiesbaden Germany ?��3� is Sassand Bis Crew still willingly accept the fund be established for Public for the construction of the new i this idea came from a stale by an 8 or 9-year-old Young j viewed on Abc news for her i the challenger disaster. She. Wanted the space program to Toad she thought if every child it continued on i
