Nuggets from Cosmos, Creator, and Human Destiny—Applauding Man’s Blindness

President Bush continued: “This will be a great and unifying mission for NASA, and we know that you’ll achieve it…. Achieving these goals requires a long-term commitment. We begin this venture knowing that space travel brings great risks…. Since the beginning of our space program, America has lost twenty-three astronauts, and one astronaut from an allied nation—men and women who believed in their mission and accepted the dangers. The Columbia’s crews did not turn away from the challenge, and neither will we. (Applause) [W]e choose to explore space because doing so improves our lives and lifts our national spirit. So let us continue the journey. May God bless. (Applause)”