Three men—two astronauts and one cosmonaut, flying 244 miles above Earth in the International Space Station—are probably feeling somewhat shaken by the Columbia disaster. The entire tight-knit astronaut corps has felt the loss of their colleagues; but for those in space, bereavement will have to happen in zero gravity during their time away from Earth.
"They knew they might experience a serious personal loss while in space and they accept that," says James Carter, Ph.D., of Dartmouth Medical School. "If they aren't willing to make that commitment, then they are not flying." Carter notes that previous employees of the space station have dealt with loss before, including that of family members.
"We are dealing with tremendously well-adjusted people," he says. "That's part of the reason they are selected." Of the elite astronaut corps, only a select few are chosen for long-duration missions. They are chosen because they can deal with difficult situations such as the loss of the Columbia.
