zerofay32
Buckeye
On Feb. 6 2003, five days after the loss of Columbia on STS-107, Robert Crippen gave a eulogy to thousands of KSC workers at the SLF.
"It is fitting we are gathered here on the shuttle runway for this event," he said. "It was here last Saturday that family and friends waited anxiously to celebrate with the crew their successful mission and safe return to Earth. It never happened. I'm sure that Columbia, which traveled millions of miles and made that fiery re-entry 27 time before, struggled mightily in those last moments to bring her crew home safely once again. She wasn't successful.
"Columbia was a fine ship. She was named after Robert Gray's exploration ship, which sailed out of Boston Harbor in the 18th century. Columbia and the other orbiters were all named after great explorer ships, because that is their mission, to explore the unknown.
"Columbia was hardly a thing of beauty, exept those of us who loved and cared for her," Crippen said, fighting back tears. "She was often bad-mouthed for being a little too heavy in the rear end. But many of us can relate to that. Many said she was old and past her prime.
"Still, she had only lived barely a quarter of her design live; in years, she was only 22. Columbia had a great many missions ahead of her. She along with the crew had her live snuffed out in her prime.... There's heavy grief in our hearts, which will diminish in time, but it will never go away, and we will never forget," Crippen finished.
"Hail Rick, Willie, KC, Mike, Laurel, Dave, and Ilan. Hail Columbia!"
(taken from "Comm Check" by Michael Cabbage and William Harwood)
Hail Columbia indeed!
"It is fitting we are gathered here on the shuttle runway for this event," he said. "It was here last Saturday that family and friends waited anxiously to celebrate with the crew their successful mission and safe return to Earth. It never happened. I'm sure that Columbia, which traveled millions of miles and made that fiery re-entry 27 time before, struggled mightily in those last moments to bring her crew home safely once again. She wasn't successful.
"Columbia was a fine ship. She was named after Robert Gray's exploration ship, which sailed out of Boston Harbor in the 18th century. Columbia and the other orbiters were all named after great explorer ships, because that is their mission, to explore the unknown.
"Columbia was hardly a thing of beauty, exept those of us who loved and cared for her," Crippen said, fighting back tears. "She was often bad-mouthed for being a little too heavy in the rear end. But many of us can relate to that. Many said she was old and past her prime.
"Still, she had only lived barely a quarter of her design live; in years, she was only 22. Columbia had a great many missions ahead of her. She along with the crew had her live snuffed out in her prime.... There's heavy grief in our hearts, which will diminish in time, but it will never go away, and we will never forget," Crippen finished.
"Hail Rick, Willie, KC, Mike, Laurel, Dave, and Ilan. Hail Columbia!"
(taken from "Comm Check" by Michael Cabbage and William Harwood)
Hail Columbia indeed!
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