Lest we forget.

Fallen Astronauts - Burgess, Doolan & Vis

Space travel is not without risk, this is something that all astronauts, cosmonauts and taikonauts know and accept when they start their training.

Before the launch of Apollo 11 eight American astronauts had lost their lives as well as about the same number of Soviets (the USSR space program was more secretive that the American thus it is harder to be 100% certain), since then more space travellers of several nations have also died.

At the Kennedy Space Center in Florida there is a beautiful memorial to those who have died whilst being members of the astronaut corps:


and a plaque was also left on the moon by the crew of Apoll0 15 to commemorate their fallen friends:


This book remembers them all in a way that is very moving. They are portrayed as humans, not super-humans and no excuses are given for how they died. If it was a problem with the space programs this is listed if it was human error it is listed.

These lost space travellers live again in this book, the stories are sad but the one thing that comes through is that everyone learns from every death and the same mistakes are not repeated. There is yet hope that one day we will return to the moon and travel further.