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2\04 Regarding Columbia- 
  a note to our subscribers from NASA Science News

Feb. 4th, 2003: At the dawn of the space age some 40 years ago, we 
always knew who was orbiting Earth or flying to the Moon. Neil 
Armstrong, Yuri Gagarin, John Glenn. They were household 
names--everywhere.

Lately it's different. Space flight has become more "routine." Another
flight of the shuttle. Another visit to the space station. Who's 
onboard this time? Unless you're a NASA employee or a serious space 
enthusiast, you might not know.

Dave Brown, Rick Husband, Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Michael 
Anderson, William McCool, and Ilan Ramon

Now we know. Those are the names of the seven astronauts who were
tragically lost on Saturday, Feb. 1st, when the space shuttle Columbia
(STS-107) broke apart over Texas.

Before the accident, perhaps, they were strangers to you. But if 
that's so, why did you have a knot in your gut when you heard the 
news? What were those tears all about? Why do you feel so deep-down 
sad for seven strangers?

Astronauts have an unaccountable hold on us. They are explorers. 
Curious, humorous, serious, daring, careful. Where they go, they go in 
peace. Every kid wants to be one. Astronauts are the essence of 
humanity.

They are not strangers. They are us.

While still in orbit Dave Brown asked, jokingly, "do we really have to
come back?"

No. But we wish you had. 

The Science{at}NASA team, as does all of NASA and the world, extends
heartfelt sympathies to the family, friends and colleagues of the 
STS-107 crew. Please see the NASA Home Page (http://www.nasa.gov) for 
more information on the Columbia Investigation.

--Tony Phillips, Ron Koczor, Bryan Walls, Becky Bray, Patrick Meyer.

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