Lost in space, R.I.P.

While I'm a strong advocate of privatization and commercialization of space, I'll be the first to say we should always honor those who first blazed the trail. Exploration of any frontier always takes a heavy toll on the first pathfinders, and the sky has been no limit to this rule. As Russia recently admitted, Yuri Gagarin wasn't the first man in space. He was simply the first who lived to tell about it.

Twenty-two years ago today, the shuttle Challenger exploded after takeoff, killing its crew and the hopes of many who hoped to follow citizen-teacher-turned-astronaut Christa McAuliffe into space. The Challenger's crew would not be the last to perish, either, as Columbia disintegrated over Texas in 2003.

These were people who died doing what they loved, trying to contribute what they could to a future none of us can yet see. I still think Peggy Noonan captured the tragic cost of the spirit of adventure perfectly when she included the poem "High Flight" in President Reagan's eulogy for the Challenger crew.

As we continue to look to the sky, may we never forget those who have gone before.