Families Gather To Honor Lost Astronauts

Family members, friends and NASA officials gathered at Kennedy Space Center on Friday to commemorate the seven Columbia astronauts on the fifth anniversary of their deaths. On February 1, 2003 -- after a 16-day mission -- the shuttle Columbia broke up high over Texas while descending to land at Kennedy.

During Friday's gathering, Evelyn Husband-Thompson led an emotional tribute to her husband, Columbia commander Rick Husband and the astronauts, at the base of the Space Mirror Memorial, reports the Associated Press.

"This morning, I couldn’t stop thinking about Rick and Willie and Kalpana and Dave and Mike and Laurel and Ilan," said Husband-Thompson, naming each of the Columbia crew. "All of our families went through so much that day. We so miss them, and we will never forget them."

Past and present NASA spaceflight officials joined Husband-Thompson, who remarried a few weeks ago, her two children and over 200 others at the towering granite memorial bearing the names of the 24 astronauts who have given their lives in the line of duty.

Each guest received a long-stemmed rose, and each placed their flower on the grating in front of the stone memorial.

Ilan Ramon was Israel’s first astronaut... and on Friday, 44 ninth-graders from Israel stood on the sidelines and paid quiet respect. Some of the teenagers were from the same school Ramon attended years earlier.

"He’s Israeli, so it’s important," said 15-year old Roman Rashchupkin. "He learned in our school."

India, the homeland of astronaut Kalpana Chawla, was also represented at the hour-long ceremony. India’s space research organization chairman, G. Madhavan Nair, noted how Columbia’s loss was painful not just for the astronauts’ families, but for the whole world.

President and Mrs. Bush were among those who offered their respects to the families of Husband’s crew.NASA Administrator Michael Griffin read from the president’s letter:

"Space exploration is a dream deeply rooted in human history. The seven brave astronauts of Columbia sacrificed their lives so the rest of mankind could realize this dream. Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Blair Salton Clark and Ilan Ramon all nobly faced the dangers of space travel with courage and idealism. They assumed great risk so we could understand what lies beyond the heavens."

Griffin also offered his praise to the astronauts, their families and NASA colleagues,  stressing how spaceflight is risky and always will be. As the next shuttle crew readies for a launch on Thursday, Griffin emphasized how important it is to learn from past mistakes.

Columbia’s loss was triggered by undetected damage to the heat shield of the left wing. A chunk of insulating foam broke off the shuttle’s fuel tank and collided with the shield.

The ceremony Friday marked the last in a week of solemn recollections for the space agency. On January 27, NASA marked the 41st anniversary of the Apollo 1 spacecraft fire; Monday was the 22nd anniversary of the Challenger launch explosion.

"Americans don’t quit and we won’t quit. We’ll never quit." Griffin said, noting grimly that "quitting has high costs."

FMI: www.nasa.gov