"x24val" wrote:

...if you're still interested in the story of STS 107, Please visit...

http://www.chrisvalentines.com/sts107/

I downloaded the video and loved it. I believe you captured the essence of
the tragedy that was STS 107. How could NASA allow the crew to die the way
they did when clearly that crew gave it everything they had. So I burned it
to a CD at my wife's request. You see she is an 8th grade Physical Science
teacher and every year she does something special for the Anniversary of the
Challenger Accident. Now this year that changed as the Challenger crew for
the first time, shares the fifty-five minute tribute with the Columbia crew.

So who cares? One-Hundred-Sixty-Seven 8th grade students CARE. "Imagine"
that your video turned a terrible day just about one year ago into a
"Beautiful Day" of remembrance for two crews that deserved so much more than
they got from NASA. Kids are tough nowadays and almost nothing moves them.
Your video overwhelmed them because you brought the Columbia crew back to
life if only for a moment!! Those students will not likely forget the
Columbia crew now and that is a good thing.

Sometimes in our zeal to examine the Hell out of just about everything here
on this group, we forget that humans are in those majestic Shuttles. The
8th graders connected with the Columbia crew in your video because you put
the mission to music in an incredible way that they could relate to.
Obviously it took a lot of effort. I will pass it on to many others too,
because I think many people have buried the Columbia crew, though their
story really did have a lot of joy and has not been told very well.

The one thing that came through repeatedly in discussions with the students
after each class was just how much the STS 107 crew really loved their jobs.
The students got a sense of who the crew was and it made their loss a little
less painful knowing that the crew died doing what they loved most. Losing
the crew during reentry, after they accomplished their mission, somehow
seems a little less painful. At least the Columbia crew got to perform
their mission. For me that is a painful reminder that the Challenger crew
was not as fortunate in death as the crew of Columbia.

Personally the "Clocks" portion of the video choked me up and yes I shed
some tears. It was perfect. You went from the joy of the crew and their
mission to the gravity and reality of what happened in a very thoughtful
manner.

My wife would love to get the whole thing on DVD if possible as the students
could see it on a bigger projector screen.

Thank you for sharing your work. It did have a positive impact regardless
of what others might say here.

--

Daniel
http://www.challengerdisaster.info
Mount Charleston, not Charleston, SC