To the Columbia and her crew.

[Robert Simmons <de...@arcor.de>]

Words cannot express the sorrow we feel at the loss of the Columbia. As scientists ourselves, we feel a kinship to those that died 200,000 feet above the state of Texas. We should all take a moment to say farewell and then to push on with science and exploration so that their deaths were not in vain. As we mourn their loss, we should also remember that they all died living their childhood dream. It should be some solace that they all realized the pinnacle of their aspirations before leaving this world. 

To all of the families involved, words cannot express the sorrow we feel for the loss of their loved ones. We would only ask that in your moment of grief, you remember not how they died, but how they lived. 

-- Robert Simmons jr. 
-- Senior Software Engineer
-- American Living in Munich, Germany