SPACEHAB Honors Columbia's Seven with Permanent Memorial

On, Thursday, May 1, 2003, SPACEHAB, Inc. remembered the STS-107 crew of Columbia, in a ceremony dedicating a unique memorial in their honor. In the years and months of training before their extraordinary mission, these seven astronauts repeatedly crossed the doorway of SPACEHAB's Payload Processing Facility located in Cape Canaveral, Florida. They left indelible marks on the hearts of those who worked inside, as well as on the world on which they gazed during their 16-day mission.

With the help of the Patrick Air Force Base Honor Guard, SPACEHAB President and CEO, Michael E. Kearney, Astronaut Pam Melroy, and other NASA, industry, and legislative colleagues, dedicated the special area and monument on the property of this facility. "SPACEHAB was proud to be part of a mission with extraordinary value," said Kearney. "Over the years our SPACEHAB, Boeing, and Astrium team has worked proudly alongside many talented individuals in the astronaut corps, supporting their training, helping them develop their capabilities. The STS-107 crew was no exception...their teamwork, drive, and dedication were a testament to the Program, a testament to their commitment to the wonder and promise of space exploration and its benefit to humanity."

Astronaut Melroy lovingly eulogized her fallen friends, Commander Rick Husband, Pilot Willie McCool, Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Mission Specialists David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, and Laurel Clark, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon asking those present to "remember them with love and affection."

We at SPACEHAB will continue to do just that...