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Please note 'safely' was in quotes, meaning as safe as can reasonably be conducted.

To those that say 'keep flying', I am not arguing that spirit at all. What I am saying is that in this and other dangerous businesses, its not smart to simply take chances, and professionals don't. We DO take calculated risks, fully understand the problems, and mitigate the dangers to the fullest extent. This is prudent and necessary. Up until Saturday, NASA was taking calculated risks. To continue now, without an investigation, is rolling a dice.

In aviation, the rules are written in blood. To not stop and learn those lessons is just as much letting the crew die in vain as to stop flying alltogether.

What I am saying is that in this and other dangerous businesses, its not smart to simply take chances, and professionals don't. We DO take calculated risks, fully understand the problems, and mitigate the dangers to the fullest extent. This is prudent and necessary.

We could save more lives than were lost on the shuttle every single day by lowering the highway speed limit to 20 mph. And by outlawing motorcycles and bicycles. And private aircraft.

Why so much concern with saving lives just on the shuttle? I'd like to know how many qualified astronauts have died in car wrecks or other "preventable" accidents over the course of the space program. We've now lost 17 astronauts. Are you so sure that we haven't killed more astronauts by not enacting more stringent vehicular safety laws for vehicles they use other than the shuttle?