[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 1, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E51]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        IN MEMORY OF THE ``COLUMBIA'' AND ``CHALLENGER'' HEROES

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. TOM DeLAY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2006

  Mr. DeLAY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remember 14 heroes of our 
Nation's space program.
  Three years ago today, on a clear blue morning, the space shuttle 
Columbia exploded in the skies above Texas, killing all seven members 
of her crew.
  The tragedy reminded us of a similar cloudless morning almost 17 
years to the day earlier, when the space shuttle Challenger was lost 
moments after liftoff.
  The 14 men and women who died on these missions were extraordinary 
individuals, but they were typical of the men and women NASA employs.
  Courageous.
  Dauntless.
  Driven by a spirit of exploration and a desire to understand the 
unknown.
  The Columbia and Challenger crew members knew the risks of 
spaceflight, but they chose to serve anyway--not in spite of the risks, 
but in part because of them.
  They gave their lives in the hard and noble work of discovery, in 
service to their country and for all mankind.
  Though these 14 heroes have slipped the ``surly bonds of earth,'' 
their legacy remains, grounded in the hearts and memories of those who 
strive every day to finish their life's work.

                          ____________________