As a child I was fascinated with science, and space travel in particular. I grew up in the 1960s, when we were racing the Soviets for the first moon landing, and young American boys were issued Major Matt Mason toys as a matter of national policy. I devoured How and Why Wonder Books on Planets and Interplanetary Travel, Rockets and Missiles, The Moon, and anything else I could find that might help me get into space. I knew that no matter what I was going to be an astronaut.

Well, for a little while. Then some time after that giant leap for mankind, I found out that I was too scrawny and near-sighted to ever see the inside of an Apollo capsule, so I moved on to other career considerations.

I never gave up my interest in space, or my belief in the value of space travel. When they started I followed the shuttle launches in the news, listening on the radio when I could. The shuttle program was exciting — space wasn't just for super-heroic military types any longer, but would some day be for civilians, too. It started to look as though my generation would live to see space travel become routine, and I was eagerly anticipating the advances that would bring.

Back in January of 1986 I worked in a warehouse. My office was in the middle of the building, so I couldn't even get radio reception. The guys in shipping knew I was a science geek, and we'd been talking about the coming shuttle launch for a few days, having the usual arguments about whether or not it was a good use of money, that sort of thing. I made the comment that I should have asked for the launch day off, so I could drive up to the Cape and see a launch in person for the first time.

On the morning on the 28th I walked out from my office into the shipping room to check on something and the guys were all standing there staring at the radio. I asked what was up, and they told me the Challenger had exploded. I didn't believe them. I thought they were screwing with me because it was my birthday, and they knew how much the space program meant to me. But then I heard the radio commentary, and I knew it was horrifically true.

So yes, it's my birthday, but that will never again be important to me. This day will always be about the seven astronauts who gave their lives in the pursuit of knowledge, trying to make the world a better place.