A
MEMORIAL
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.