Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew

by Michael D. Leinbach

To us in the reconstruction hangar, it often felt like the rest of NASA was focused on pursuing their own pet theories about what caused Columbia to disintegrate, rather than letting the debris tell its story through detailed examination.

The citizens of East Texas feel the hand of divine providence in bringing Columbia and her crew to rest in their community. It afforded them the opportunity to “love thy neighbor” by comforting the NASA family in their time of grief. One trusts that the residents of any region in America would have responded with the same grace, love, and dedication that the communities of Texas displayed.

I often tell my children that generations pass and centuries pass, but it seems that the sense of curiosity in people does not change. Sure, our environment changes and technology changes, but people are still human. We still carry the spirit and adventure of those we read about in history, the Bible, the Greek plays, the discoveries of Columbus, and the exploration of the Americas. Likewise, astronauts love to explore, and they feel very confident, focused, and determined about it.

I believe exploring and taking risks will be around for a long time.