2003 -- H 5395 ======LC01752 ======STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2003 ______

H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

EXPRESSING SINCERE SORROW ON THE TRAGIC LOSS OF COLUMBIA ASTRONAUTS, RICK HUSBAND, WILLIAM MCCOOL, MICHAEL ANDERSON, KALPANA CHAWLA, DAVID BROWN, LAUREL CLARK, AND ILAN RAMON

Introduced By: Representatives Murphy, Fox, Ginaitt, Watson, and Kennedy

Date Introduced: February 04, 2003

Referred To: House read and passed

1 WHEREAS, The greatest measure of the success of the American space shuttle program

2 is the ease with which these amazing journeys have been looked upon and viewed as more or less

3 routine; and

4 WHEREAS, Space shuttles have become workhorses in a celestial environment,

5 launched to build a space station, to advance further space missions, and to conduct experiments

6 to benefit all mankind; and

7 WHEREAS, On Saturday, February 1, 2003 the entire world was cruelly reminded, once

8 again, that leaving Earth is anything but commonplace, when the Space Shuttle Columbia was

9 lost; and

10 WHEREAS, The amazing mission of the Columbia lasted 16 days for seven courageous

11 men and women, who by their extraordinary sense of adventure, vision and purpose were part of

12 the elite group of scientists and pilots we respectfully call astronauts; and

13 WHEREAS, Astronauts Rick Husband, William McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana

14 Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon made the ultimate sacrifice in service to

15 their country and their fellow man. We marvel at their mission, their daring, their bravery and

16 their idealism; now, therefore be it

17 RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

18 Providence Plantations hereby expresses its sincere sorrow and regret on the tragic fate of the

19 Columbia space shuttle mission astronauts and that they will forever be remembered by the entire 1 membership; and be it further

2 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he is hereby authorized and directed to

3 transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

======LC01752 ======

2