The theoretical recognition that things could possibly go wrong was supplanted by the cold realization that they would. Those with backgrounds in the missile industry and in systems engineering were hit especially hard by the disaster—they were the ones who had believed that all risks could be removed from spaceflight; accidents should never happen. Those who came from the world of flight testing, like the majority of the astronauts themselves, found it easier to move on after the accident. These men recognized the realities of the work they were doing, and were prepared to live with the
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