"16 minutes before their scheduled landing...."
God, they were so close. I was really feeling so horribly sad earlier then I began to contemplate on the fact that these folks were realizing their dreams to be an astronaut, to venture into the wonderous area we know as space. How many of us actually get to realize our wildest dreams? How many of us will ever travel into heaven's backyard and get to view the stars individually named by God? I hope that that fact will be some consolation and inspiration to all who grieve for them.
http://www.biblegateway.com/bgaudio/english/niv/hurl?passage=ps+8
Psalm 8
For the director of music. According to gittith . A psalm of David.
1 O LORD , our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise]
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
7 all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air,
and the fish of the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
9 O LORD , our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!