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Glenn Mahone/Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington                       Feb. 5, 2003
(Phone: 202/358-1600)

Kyle Herring
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

436th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
Dover Air Force Base, Del.
(Phone: 302/677-3372/3375/3693)

RELEASE: 03-053

DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR MEETS SPACE SHUTTLE 
COLUMBIA ASTRONAUTS' REMAINS AT DOVER AFB

    Today, Deputy NASA Administrator Frederick Gregory will render 
honors to the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia at Dover Air Force 
Base in Delaware. The remains of the orbiter's seven astronauts are 
scheduled to arrive in flag- draped caskets at Dover about 2 p.m. EST 
on board a C-141 Starlifter.

The seven astronauts - Commander Rick Husband (Colonel, USAF), Pilot 
Willie McCool (Commander, USN) and Mission Specialists Michael 
Anderson (Lieutenant Colonel, USAF), David Brown (Captain, USN), 
Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark (Commander, USN), and Payload 
Specialist Ilan Ramon (Colonel, Israel Force) - died Saturday when the 
Space Shuttle Columbia broke up over the southern United States.

The Charles C. Carson Center for Mortuary Affairs at the base will 
prepare the remains for return to the families. Ramon's remains will 
be flown to his home in Israel for burial. Final funeral arrangements 
for the crew are still to be announced.

Video and still images of the private Honor Guard reception will be 
included in a NASA Television video feed later today and available on 
the agency's Internet site at www.nasa.gov.

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