Before Astronauts Go to Space, a Bouquet for Those Who Never Came Home

When the space shuttle Challenger exploded on Jan. 28, 1986, it shook the space exploration industry to its core. Ever since that flight, two Dallas, Texas, families have sent roses to NASA's mission control in Houston every time an astronaut is about to head into space. On Tuesday, another bouquet arrived.

The families always include a rose of a similar color for each astronaut about to take off, as well as a single white rose in remembrance of everyone who has died in the name of space exploration.

NASA didn't immediately respond to a request for some more information about the families who send the roses, but in the video below, NASA public affairs officer Josh Byerly calls them the Murphy and Shelton families. They've been shipping roses to Houston before every flight since the STS-26 shuttle launch in 1988. Read more...