Tue, Feb 11, 2003

Astronaut Dave Brown's Brother Clarifies

Rumors Spun Out of Control; This Sets Record Straight

Douglas Brown, brother of Columbia Mission Specialist Capt. Dave Brown, USN, wrote for the record, "I wanted to clarify a couple of facts reported recently regarding my brother, Dave Brown, a member of the Columbia STS 107 mission.

"Dave sent several personal emails during the mission, but at no time did he write about any concerns with damage to the left wing of the orbiter or any other safety issues. As they reached orbit, Dave took his planned photos of the external tank separation, which is standard procedure. These are the photos I discussed with Senator Allen.

"When I asked Dave at Christmas what he would want me to say if he didn't make it back, he said the program must go on. He said, 'I accepted this risk when I took the job, just as I did when I became a Naval aviator.'"

Dave Brown was also a flight surgeon, and was on his first space flight, when he died February 1, as Columbia came apart on re-entry.

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Astronaut Dave Brown's Brother Clarifies

Rumors Spun Out of Control; This Sets Record Straight

FMI: www.spaceflight.nasa.gov

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