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Produced & Maintained by Idaho Mountain Express, Box 1013, Ketchum, ID 83340-1013 
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Copyright © 2002 Express Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Express Publishing Inc. is prohibited. 


For the week of February 5 - 11, 2003

Editorials

Stay in space


The loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its seven brave astronauts should not deter the nation’s exploration of space.

With all due respect for the dead, it is unreasonable to expect that accidents or mistakes will never happen as humanity continues to break the bonds of Earth.

The astronauts knew the space shuttle wasn’t a jumbo jet. They knew the risks, but put their lives on the line anyway.

Their desire to be pioneers, to explore the mysteries of space and to help mankind understand the Earth’s place in a vast universe exceeded any fear of the unknown. They looked mortality in the eye long before they ever stepped onto the space shuttle—and accepted it.

The nation and the world mourn the loss of some of the best and most courageous people on the planet.

The courage of the astronauts is cold comfort to the families in the midst of such loss. Yet, such courage is a rare currency, much to be admired in an age in which safety and the accumulation of vast fortunes have overshadowed loftier goals.

The astronauts put the accumulation of knowledge and the welfare of mankind ahead of their personal safety. If all of mankind were guided by such altruism, the world would be a better place.

The Columbia disaster deserves a most thorough investigation. Expert eyes outside of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration should review the shuttle design knowing that passion for space missions will always threaten to blind scientists and engineers to excessive risks.

But whatever the investigation finds, the United States should not drop its commitment to exploring space. To drop the space program would dishonor the men and women of the Columbia.

There’s no better way to explore space than to go there, to follow the trail the astronauts blazed.

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The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.