Statement from the families of the Space Shuttle Columbia mission STS-107

Allard Beutel
Headquarters, Washington July 12, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-4769)

Doug Peterson
Johnson Space Center, Houston
(Phone: 281/483-5111)

RELEASE: 05-180

A STATEMENT FROM THE COLUMBIA FAMILIES ON NASA'S RETURN TO FLIGHT

The following is a statement from the families of the Space Shuttle
Columbia mission STS-107:

"As NASA prepares to launch the Shuttle Discovery, we, the Columbia
Families, would like to show our support for the STS-114 crew and all the
dedication and talent of those who supported this Return to Flight effort.
We have had two and one half years to reflect daily on the loss of our loved
ones as the Shuttle Columbia (STS 107) broke apart over Texas on February 1,
2003.

"In the aftermath of the Columbia tragedy we saw our nation's space program
reinvent itself. The extraordinary efforts of local, state and national
organizations involved in the recovery effort, the Columbia Accident
Investigation Board, the Return to Flight Task Group and all the NASA and
aerospace industry workforce implementing the Return to Flight effort have
clearly done an exemplary job in defining and reducing the technical risk as
much as possible. As the families of Apollo 1 and Challenger before us, we
grieve deeply but know the exploration of space must go on. We hope we have
learned, and will continue to learn, from each of these accidents, so that
we will be as safe as we can be in this high risk endeavor.

"As important as solving the technical risk is, we must be vigilant to
ensure the organizational and cultural issues that contributed to Apollo,
Challenger, and Columbia are forever remembered. Under the leadership of the
new NASA Administrator, we have every confidence that the sacrifice of our
loved ones and those that preceded them will be realized for the benefit of
all humankind.

"Godspeed Discovery."

-end-

--
--------------

Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info