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| | Remembering the Crew of the Columbia, STS-107Fell to Earth, 1st February 2003"Per Ardua, Ad Astra" - "To the stars through hardship", motto of the Royal Air Force 
The seven STS-107 crew members take a break from their training regimen to pose for the traditional crew portrait. Seated in front are astronauts Rick D. Husband (left), mission commander; Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; and William C. McCool, pilot. Standing are (from the left) astronauts David M. Brown, Laurel B. Clark, and Michael P. Anderson, all mission specialists; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist representing the Israeli Space Agency. | CAPCOM Charlie Hobaugh: Columbia, Houston. We see your tire pressure message and we did not copy your last.
Cmdr. Rick Husband: Roger. Uh ... — last words recorded from space shuttle Columbia, 08:00 Houston time - 1 February 2003. "Columbia, Houston, UHF comm. check." — CAPCOM Lt. Col. Charlie Hobaugh, transmitting in the blind on the UHF back-up radio system. Started about 3 minutes after the shuttle data stream stopped, and repeated several times. - 1 February 2003.. |
The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.
In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing."
The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home. — President George W. Bush, address to the nation from the Cabinet Room. 14:04 EST - 1 February 2003 | "High Flight" Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God. By John Gillespie Magee, Jr. (An American serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force, he was sent to England for combat duty in July 1941. In August or September 1941, he composed High Flight and sent a copy to his parents. Several months later, on December 11, 1941, his Spitfire collided with another plane over England. He was 19 years of age when he died.) |
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