Montana Traffic Net

Columbia Crew Shuttle Shuttle

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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Also this poem submitted by K7MT Bill from Texas

This might be appropriate for you Columbia Link Donnie - Written by one of
the fire fighters that search for Columbia parts for 30 days in Texas.


 

Home away from Home
Anthony Bartell  GFP Crew-124 Sisters Oregon


 

Here I am away from Home, Through the brush and woods I roam.
Looking for parts from a blown up ship, Completed their mission, but not
their trip.
Getting the pieces to solve a mystery, February 1, 2003 is now a part of
history.
Think of yourself in their shoes, Everyone you know and everyone they knew.
Think of their loved ones and people who care, Wonder what it was like to be
up there.
Thirty miles away from home, Never made it, but their spirits still roam.
Did they make it to that special place? I think so by the last looks on
their face.
All so happy and filled with glee, They went to a place most of us will
never be.
A trip they took to better our home, I can only hope we meet when our
spirits roam
For friends and family I feel your grief, I strain myself to look under
every leaf.
This big puzzle will be whole once again, No wondering what happened or what
might have been.


 

Camp Nacogdoches Texas April 4, 2003