Special Projects -- The Columbia Chronicles

Columbia crew

"Hello from above our magnificent planet Earth"
Laurel Clark of Racine, Wis., was a submarine doctor with the U.S. Navy before joining NASA in 1996, traveling to the depths of the oceans before soaring above as a mission specialist helping with science experiments on the space shuttle Columbia. The mother of an 8-year-old son, she was on her first shuttle mission when Columbia disintegrated over Texas. The day before she died, she sent an e-mail home to family and friends. (www.laurelclark.org)

Rick Husband Payload commander, age 45. An Air Force colonel from Amarillo, Texas. Former test pilot selected as an astronaut in 1994 on his fourth try. Married father of two. »NASA Bio	William McCool Pilot, age 41. A Navy commander from Lubbock, Texas. Became an astronaut in 1996. First spaceflight for McCool, who was married with three sons, ages 22, 19, 14. »NASA Bio	Michael Anderson Payload commander, age 43. Chosen in 1994 as one of only a few black astronauts. Lieutenant colonel, lived in Spokane, Wash., handled science experiments. Married with children. » NASA Bio
Kalpana Chawla Age 41. Immigrated to the United States from India in the 1980s; became an astronaut in 1994. Previous mission as robotic arm operator on STS-87 in 1997. »NASA Bio »Embassy of India	David Brown Age 46. Navy captain, pilot and doctor. Joined the Navy after medical internship; went on to fly A-6E Intruder and F-18. Became an astronaut in 1996. Columbia´s mission his first spaceflight. »NASA Bio	Laurel Clark Age 41. A flight surgeon before she became an astronaut in 1996. Had been on Columbia to help with science experiments. Lived in Racine, Wis., married with an 8-year-old son. »NASA Bio »Dr. Laurel Clark Memorial Website
Ilan Ramon Age 48. Colonel in Israel´s air force and first Israeli in space. Chosen as Israeli´s first astronaut in 1997; moved to Houston in 1998 to train for flight. Wife, four children - ages 5 to 15 - live in Tel Aviv. »NASA Bio »Preflight Interview: Ilan Ramon »Israel´s First High-Tech Ambassador in Space

Special Report: THE COLUMBIA CHRONICLES
Space Shuttle Columbia arrived at the Kennedy Space Center in March 1979. By July of this year, after 28 missions and 123 million miles in space, the charred remains of the orbiter lay in pieces in a hangar not far from the launch pad where it lifted off on its final journey. The Daytona Beach News-Journal´s NIE Program presents The Columbia Chronicles.

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