A reminder of the dangers of space exploration

These past few years, all everyone has thought about is the excitement of space exploration. Even though we always knew there was much risk involved in the feat, the possibility of a tragedy occuring didn't really register until one happened.

The tragedy of the Apollo 1 mission is something I have never experienced before. It was the ultimate switch in mood at the space station. Right before launch, everyone was filled with nerves and anxiety, but the good kind of nerves where you're excited for what is to come. But once we noticed a fire and communication cut out, the room became dead silent. Us scientists not directly involved in the Apollo 1 mission were given the day off to process the shocking events. I think leadership is going to take some time to re-evaluate the risks of this commitment to moon exploration. At this moment, no one knows if this project will be shut down.