Posts Tagged ‘astronauts’

“Houston, we’ve had a blast…”

scifiwriters_posterSince last Friday, I’ve intended to write a lengthy, detailed blog post describing the absolutely mind-blowing day of VIP behind-the-scenes coolness that I and a group of my fellow Star Trek writers enjoyed at NASA‘s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.

Then my friend and fellow author Dayton Ward beat me to it.

Over on his blog The Fog of Ward, he presents a detailed account of the entire amazing day, starting with the group’s arrival the night before the visit, and culminating in our 10-hour walking tour of several of JSC’s most notable historic sites and working facilities.

Because I can’t hope to write an account more accurate or entertaining than his, I will simply tell you to go read it there, and to keep reading here if you’d like to see an assortment of photos of our visit. (more…)

Remembering Challenger

Having been duly reminded of this date’s historical significance by the multitudes on my LJ f-list, I take a moment to reflect on the day 23 years ago when the Space Shuttle Challenger was destroyed during the launch phase of a mission.

Having grown up as a science-fiction nerd who dreamed of space travel, the Challenger disaster was a hard slap of reality for me as a 16-year-old. Suddenly, reeling from the news during lunch in the cafeteria, I thought about the ill-fated Apollo 1 team.

Our road to the stars will be difficult, costly, dangerous, and sometimes deadly. Let us never forget to honor the courage of those men and women who brave the heavens on our behalf, and to salute those who have perished in the attempt.

:raising a glass: