Somber 25th Anniversary

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the loss of the Challenger Space Shuttle. For many of us, it was an unforgettable moment when we heard the news. It might have been the first time that many of us of a certain generation realized that flying into space wasn’t easy, nor was it always safe.

Space Shuttle Columbia rockets into the night sky on mission STS-93

Tragically, we were all reminded of this fact again when the Space Shuttle Columbia was lost almost to the day in 2003. (This was the same Shuttle that launched Chandra into space back in July 1999.) Both of these tragedies underscore the risk and, hopefully, also the rewards of the human space flight efforts put forth by NASA and other space agencies around the world. As the Space Shuttle winds down, let's hope that all of these future missions return home safely.

-Megan Watzke & Chandra EPO