In memory of the Space Shuttle Columbia Crew.
All members of the seven-person crew of space
shuttle Columbia are feared dead after the spacecraft
broke up high over Texas.. Columbia was on
its way to what had been considered an uneventful
landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Three
of the crew members on the scientific mission were
Amateur Radio operators. NASA says communication
was lost around 8 AM Central Time 02/01/03, and confirmed
reports indicated that debris has been spotted on the
ground in Texas. Aboard was the first Israeli to fly in space.
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Rick D. Husband, Commander
Rick Husband, 45, a colonel in the U.S. Air Force, was a
test pilot and veteran of one spaceflight. Selected by NASA
in December 1994, Husband logged more than 235 hours in
space.
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William C. McCool, Pilot
William C. McCool, 41, a commander in the U.S. Navy, was
a former test pilot. Selected by NASA in April 1996, McCool
was making his first spaceflight.
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Michael P. Anderson, Payload Commander
Michael P. Anderson, 43, a lieutenant colonel in the
U.S. Air Force, was a former instructor pilot and tactica
l officer. Anderson logged over 211 hours in space.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
David M. Brown, Mission Specialist 1 -- Amateur Call KC5ZTC
David M. Brown, 46, a captain in the U.S. Navy, was
a naval aviator and flight surgeon. Selected by NASA
in April 1996, Brown was making his first spaceflight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist 2-- Amateur Call KD5ESI
Kalpana Chawla, 41, was an aerospace engineer and
an FAA Certified Flight Instructor. Selected by NASA in
December 1994, Chawla logged more than 376 hours in
space.
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Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Mission Specialist 4--Amateur KC5ZSU
Laurel Clark, 41, was a commander (captain-select) in the
U.S. Navy and a naval flight surgeon. Selected by NASA
in April 1996, Clark was making her first spaceflight.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ilan Ramon, Payload Specialist 1
Ilan Ramon, 48, a colonel in the Israeli Air Force, was a
fighter pilot who was the only payload specialist on
STS-107. Approved by NASA in 1998, he was making
his first spaceflight.
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Also this poem submitted by K7MT Bill from Texas