An alternative title for this piece is “Challenger – We have no Downlink”.

Inspired by footage of the Space Shuttle disaster. My memory of seeing this on the day it happened is crystal clear. At this point, debris is falling silently from the sky and Mission Control is dispassionately relaying data, or the lack thereof.

The accident serves as a reminder of what can happen when you “reach for the stars”, both literally and metaphorically. The subsequent successes of the Space Shuttle Program are inspiration to keep trying.