Astronaut's Mother Killed in Car Wreck

Imagine being away on a business trip when something bad happens at home, then imagine being in space when it happens.

HOUSTON (AP) — An astronaut aboard the international space station went back to work Thursday even as he grieved for his mother, who was killed a day earlier when a train struck her vehicle.

Rose Tani, the 90-year-old mother of astronaut Daniel Tani, died
Wednesday in the Chicago suburb of Lombard.

Daniel Tani, 46, is believed to be the first American astronaut to lose a
close family member while in space, NASA spokeswoman Nicole Cloutier said.

...

Police said Rose Tani stopped behind a school bus at a railroad crossing and then drove around the vehicle, bypassing the lowered crossing gate. The train struck Tani's vehicle on the passenger side and pushed it down the tracks before stopping.

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Daniel Tani was supposed to fly home aboard Atlantis on Wednesday, but the shuttle's flight was postponed until January due to a fuel gauge problem. The earliest he could return to Earth at this point is late next month.

If any of you have relatives in space right now, do them a favor: try to drive safely. In fact, you might want to make a habit of it, just in case.