Michael Tyner Alsbury was killed on Friday, serving as a test pilot on Virgin Galactic's Space Ship Two.
For as long as I can remember I've had a fascination with space and I've watched with great interest as the Shuttle programme came to an end and the next chapter in space travel begun.
Whatever you think about the current drive towards space travel, be it rich man's folly or an unquestionable necessity, it would be foolishly short sighted to declare that 'we're done exploring'.
The benefits from other audacious and ongoing experiments are too numerous to mention and there are thousands of people dying every day for far less worthy causes. Putting your life on the line in the name of science is a cause infinitely more noble than most.
So for those who fall helping us climb, Godspeed.
