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Seven brave people, six Americans and an Israeli, five men and two women, gave their lives in our quest to understand the vast space beyond our atmosphere.

These were all educated and skilled people, expert in their specialty fields and highly trained in space exploration. They were not uninformed risk takers or foolhardy adventurers, but people who knew, understood and accepted the risks associated with their chosen profession.

The loss of the ship ‘Columbia’ and these brave, dedicated people reminds us that space travel is not routine despite the many successful flights to date. Things can and do go terribly wrong with devastating results.

Our compassion and prayers must go to the loved ones of the lost astronauts. They can not be compensated for their loss, and so pay a very high price for our efforts to advance our science and knowledge.

Those who died truly were the best that they could be, and lost their lives in furthering a noble venture. May they rest in peace with the honours they are due.