[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 25 (Tuesday, February 11, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2183-S2184]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        THE ``COLUMBIA'' TRAGEDY

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, it has been said that a journey of a 
thousand miles begins with a single step. In the same way, a journey of 
a million miles must be completed with one final step.
  It was at the moment of that ultimate step on February 1, 2003, that 
the Space Shuttle Columbia could go no further. In its last moments, 
America's first shuttle took with it the brave souls of its crew. It is 
those seven heroes and human beings I honor today, on behalf of every 
Oregonian who mourns them.
  In recent years, the names of shuttle astronauts have seldom been 
known by most Americans. Now, the names of the Columbia Seven have 
entered the nation's consciousness through the floodgates of our shared 
grief: Flight Commander Rick Husband; Pilot William ``Willie'' McCool; 
Payload Commander Michael Anderson; Mission Specialist Kalpana ``K.C.'' 
Chawla; Mission Specialist David Brown; Mission Specialist Laurel 
Clark; and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon.
  As the recent chair of the Subcommittee on Science, Technology and 
Space, I came to know firsthand that America's astronaut corps, and 
indeed the teams of engineers and experts that support them, are the 
best this country has to offer. It seems that this particular group of 
astronauts was the best of the best. And they were not only America's 
finest, they were India's finest and Israel's finest as well.
  Many of this crew were devoted husbands, wives, fathers and mothers. 
They leave a dozen children behind them who deserve this nation's 
sympathy and gratitude for the sacrifice their parents' final mission 
required.
  But the Columbia crew also leaves behind their ideals of persistence 
and patriotism, the humility and humor that called so many people to 
love them so much, and above all their love of learning and life. Each 
brought a different background and unique experience to this mission. 
All defeated great odds and exhibited enormous courage in becoming the 
astronauts they hoped to be.
  From childhood, Rick Husband, Willie McCool and David Brown cherished 
dreams of liftoff and landing, of spaceships and spirits aloft.
  Laurel Clark dove to the depths of the sea in her naval career before 
reaching the heights of heaven on Columbia.
  Michael Anderson was able to break even the barrier of sound, even 
the barrier of Earth's atmosphere as one of the nation's few African 
American astronauts.

[[Page S2184]]

  Kalpana Chawla's mother reportedly had hoped for a son 41 years ago 
in India. She now says with pride that this daughter did better than 
any boy could, coming to America less than 20 years ago and twice being 
chosen as her adopted nation's envoy to space.
  Ilan Ramon had led his nation into battle many times. On this 
expedition, he envisioned Israel at peace. Looking down from the 
windows of Columbia, he imagined that the quiet and calm of the heavens 
would someday find his country men and women on Earth.
  As President Bush said on Saturday, Columbia is lost. But the 
optimism of Ilan Ramon and the visions Columbia's crew embodied never 
need pass away.
  Oliver Wendell Holmes once said this: ``Through our great good 
fortune, in our youth our hearts were touched with fire. It was given 
to us to learn at the outset that life is a profound and passionate 
thing.'' Today I say that it was the great good fortune of every 
American, of every citizen of the world, that these seven hearts were 
touched in youth with fire--that it became their profound passion to 
reach into the skies and grasp the knowledge that lies beyond our 
planet.
  Even as our hearts grieve, there is reason to rejoice. The United 
States of America and the nations of the world are still called to 
farther frontiers by these seven, so deserving of our respect.

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