Today marks the 25th anniversary of the loss of the space shuttle Challenger and the seven astronauts on board. For many, it was a stark reminder that space travel was in no way "routine". I was flying tankers at Grissom AFB at the time. I was with my crew, mission planning for a flight the next day, when our squadron Ops Officer came in and gave us the news. We quickly wrapped up our work and headed home to watch the coverage.
RIP to the brave men and women of Challenger, and all who made the ultimate sacrifice in the exploration of space.
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