Columbia Space Shuttle Crew's Obituary
Memorial services for the seven crew members of the Space Shuttle Columbia will be held 11:45 AM Tuesday at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Rick D. Husband
Position: Commander
History: Husband, 45, made his second trip into space. The U.S. Air Force colonel and mechanical engineer piloted a shuttle flight in 1999, which included the first docking with the international space station.
William C. McCool
Position:Pilot
History: The 40-year-old former test pilot made his first foray into space. The U.S. Navy commander and Naval Academy graduate was responsible for maneuvering the shuttle as part of several experiments.
Michael P. Anderson
Position: Payload Commander
History: Anderson, 42, went into orbit once before, a 1998 shuttle flight that docked with the Russian space station Mir. The U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and physicist was responsible for the shuttle science mission
David M. Brown
Position: Mission Specialist
History: The U.S. Navy captain made his first flight into space. Brown, 46, an aviator and flight surgeon, was working on many experiments, including numerous biological ones.
Kalpana Chawla
Position: Mission Specialist
History: Born in India in 1961, Chawla earned an aerospace engineering doctorate from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Chawla, who has logged more than 375 hours in space, was the prime robotic arm operator on a shuttle flight in 1997.
Laurel Clark
Position: Mission Specialist
History: Clark, 41, a U.S. Navy commander and flight surgeon, was making her first flight into space. A medical school graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Clark was taking part in a variety of biological experiments
Ilan Ramon
Position: Payload Specialist
History: Ramon, 47, is the first Israeli astronaut. A colonel and former fighter pilot in the Israeli air force, he saw combat experience in the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the Lebanon War in 1982.
"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.
May God bless the grieving families, and may God continue to bless America."
President George W. Bush
What’s your fondest memory of Columbia?
What’s a lesson you learned from Columbia?
Share a story where Columbia's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Columbia you’ll never forget.
How did Columbia make you smile?