"Go Baby, Go"

"There is no recovery from mistakes we've made, whether it goes back to the Apollo fire, loss of Challenger or the loss of Columbia. Going back even further to 100 years of aviation, the safety systems that we who fly have learned and know are written in other people's blood," said Griffin, a pilot.

- One of my most vivid memories is of my science teacher approaching me in the hallway of my high school to let me know that the Challenger had exploded during ascent. I watched footage of the explosion the rest of the afternoon in the school library. I was devastated. I wept openly.

Everytime since when I've watched a shuttle or rocket launch (I don't play favourites, I even cheer on the Chinese Taichonauts), I cross my fingers and say the same thing under my breath,

"Go baby, Go"