HONORING THE MEMORY OF THE SEVEN ASTRONAUTS WHO SERVED ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA.

WHEREAS, the members of this chamber are grief-stricken at the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and her seven astronauts on Saturday, February 1, 2003; and

WHEREAS, the women and men who perished aboard Columbia embodied the very best qualities of mankind. Their intelligence, diligence and valor led to their selection for the space program and their presence on Columbia; and

WHEREAS, today we pause not only to remember this tragedy, but we also pause to honor the achievements of seven exemplary people; and

WHEREAS, let us recite the names of the seven astronauts:

Rick D. Husband, age forty-five and the commander of Columbia. Commander Husband was a colonel in the United States air force. He was selected as an astronaut in 1994 and prior to this mission had logged two hundred thirty hours in space. His home was Amarillo, Texas;

William C. McCool, age forty-one and the pilot for the mission. He was a commander in the United States navy and a former test pilot. Commander McCool became an astronaut in 1996, and this was his first space flight. His home was Lubbock, Texas;

Michael P. Anderson, age forty-three and the payload commander for Columbia. Lieutenant Colonel Anderson was an air force man who grew up as the son of an air force man. Selected as an astronaut in 1994, he had previously logged over two hundred eleven hours in space. His home was Spokane, Washington;

Dr. Kalpana Chawla, age forty-one and a mission specialist. Dr. Chalwa emigrated to the United States from India in the 1980s and became an astronaut in 1994. She was an aerospace engineer and had previously logged more than three hundred seventy-six hours in space. She grew up in Karnal, a small town in the Punjab region of India;

David M. Brown, age forty-six and a mission specialist. He was a captain in the United States navy and served as a naval aviator and a flight surgeon, a rare combination. Captain Brown became an astronaut in 1996. This was his first space flight. He grew up in Arlington, Virginia;

Laurel Salton Clark, age forty-one and a mission specialist. She was a commander in the United States navy and a naval flight surgeon. She had also served as a naval diving medical officer aboard submarines. Commander Clark became an astronaut in 1996. This was her first space flight. She lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico as a child and has family who still reside there. Her home was Racine, Wisconsin; and

Ilan Ramon, age forty-eight and the payload specialist for Columbia. Colonel Ramon served in the Israeli air force and was a decorated war veteran. He was selected as Israel's first astronaut in 1997. This was his first space flight. His home was Tel Aviv, Israel; and

WHEREAS, they are sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters and astronauts, and they lost their lives while reaching for the stars;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that it honor the memory of the seven astronauts who served on the space shuttle Columbia; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the house of representatives of the state of New Mexico extend its deepest sympathy to the families of the seven astronauts and to the colleagues with whom they served at the Lyndon B. Johnson space center in Houston, Texas; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the Lyndon B. Johnson space center for distribution to the families of the astronauts.