 Nation Morns Loss of Columbia's Crew February 01, 2003  Photo courtesy Johnson Space Center The Space Shuttle Columbia, carrying seven astronauts, broke up over Texas Saturday morning as it descended for a landing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida following a 16-day flight. A Space Shuttle contingency was declared in Mission Control when communication was lost with the Space Shuttle Columbia. Communication and tracking of the shuttle was lost at 9 a.m. EST at an altitude of about 203,000 feet above north central Texas while traveling approximately 12,500 miles per hour (Mach 18). No communication and tracking information was received in Mission Control after that time. Flight controllers in Mission Control immediately began the process of securing all information, notes and data pertinent to Saturday's reentry.
"My fellow Americans,
this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country.
At 9:00 a.m. this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact
with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris was
seen falling from the skies above Texas. The Columbia is lost;
there are no survivors. .... These men and women assumed great
risk in the service to all humanity." ..." Read the text of the President's remarks... As a mark of respect for Rick Douglas Husband, William C. McCool, Laurel Blair Salton Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Michael P. Anderson, David M. Brown, and Ilan Ramon who gave their lives during the mission of STS-107 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on February 1, 2003, the President ordered by proclamation on Saturday, that the flag of the United States be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions through Wednesday, February 5, 2003. The President also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.
Governor Frank H. Murkowski on Saturday ordered state flags to fly at half-staff in memory of the crew of the space shuttle Columbia, which broke up over Texas Saturday morning at 9:16 am eastern standard time. All seven of Columbia's astronauts lost their lives in the tragedy. The flags will fly at half-staff until Wednesday February 5, 2003. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the brave men and women who lost their lives. We must never take for granted the sacrifices that all astronauts make in the search for the greater human good in the vastness of space, said Murkowski.
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