The Challenger disaster sent waves of grief across the nation, and for perfectly understandable reasons; it was a national tragedy, after all. But it’s also worth remembering that all of the crew members had their own lives, their own people who loved them. And there’s a story regarding the family of Francis “Dick” Scobee that serves as a reminder of that fact.
The families of many of the astronauts were personally at the launch, and after seeing the disaster unfold in front of them, they were all ushered back to the crew quarters. With nothing to do but wait for bad news, Scobee’s wife and kids happened upon his briefcase, left behind in his room. And in the briefcase? The usual things you’d expect: wallet, keys, business cards, photos of his family, and information related to his job. But there was more — perhaps most notably, a Valentine’s Day card for his wife, still unsigned, and another thing that’s perhaps more inspiring: a page bearing a quote by Ben Bova.
As the quote goes, “We have whole planets to explore. We have new worlds to build. We have a solar system to roam in. And if only a tiny fraction of the human race reaches out toward space, the work they do there will totally change the lives of all the billions of humans who remain on Earth.” Just a few sentences that truly encapsulate the goals of the Challenger crew, as well as those that their families still pursue.
