A JOINT MEMORIAL

IN MEMORY OF THE CREW MEMBERS OF THE COLUMBIA SPACE SHUTTLE.

WHEREAS, the members of this legislature were greatly saddened to hear of the loss of the seven crew members of the Columbia space shuttle:

A. Rick Husband, married with two children, age forty-five, Columbia commander, a colonel in the United States air force and an astronaut since 1994;

B. William C. McCool, married, age forty-one, Columbia pilot, commander in the United States navy and an astronaut since 1996;

C. Michael P. Anderson, married, age forty-three, Columbia payload commander, lieutenant colonel in the United States air force and an astronaut since 1994;

D. David M. Brown, age forty-six, Columbia mission specialist, captain in the United States navy and an astronaut since 1996;

E. Kalpana Chawla, married, age forty-one, Columbia mission specialist, aerospace engineer and an astronaut since 1994;

F. Laurel Blair Salton Clark, married with one child, age forty-one, Columbia mission specialist, former resident of Albuquerque, New Mexico, commander in the United States navy, physician and an astronaut since 1996; and

G. Ilan Ramon, married with four children, age forty-eight, Columbia payload specialist, colonel in the Israeli air force and an astronaut since 1997; and

WHEREAS, this state has strong ties to the birth and growth of this country's manned space flight program beginning with the medical testing of the first astronauts at Lovelace clinic in 1959 in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, the Columbia space shuttle landed in White Sands, New Mexico in 1982; and

WHEREAS, this state is host to the international space hall of fame at Alamogordo, New Mexico; and

WHEREAS, the state has many close bonds with the men and women of the national aeronautics and space administration; and

WHEREAS, New Mexicans grieve the loss of seven courageous astronauts;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that its deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences be extended to the families and friends of the seven astronauts of the Columbia space shuttle; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to the Johnson space center at Houston, Texas, for distribution to the bereaved families of the crew members of the Columbia space shuttle, to the president of the United States, to each member of the New Mexico congressional delegation and to the international space hall of fame in Alamogordo, New Mexico.