Nine years ago today, at 8:59 a.m., the 7-member crew of Space Shuttle Columbia perished when Columbia disintegrated over Texas during reentry into the Earth's atmosphere; it was just minutes before their scheduled landing.
My brother and I were watching TV waiting to see Columbia land. When it didn't appear at the exact time, we looked at each other and knew something was wrong. My brother and father had gone to watch Columbia take off from the Kennedy Space Center. Despite living in Florida their entire lives, that was the first space shuttle launch they had seen. It was a very sad day that they saw Columbia take off, but never land. Some things you just never forget.
