Again our country mourns
For heroes lost this day,
Our hearts are sad and torn
A day to kneel and pray.


The heroes of this flight
Went on this magnificent mission,
Not knowing of their plight
Adventure was their ambition.

                               
They chose their life's profession
They did what they wanted to do,
This fateful day of remission
Was something they all knew.

                                
The dangers of traveling through space
Are known before the flight,
But knowing the risks they faced
They stepped onboard without fright.

                                
They served their country well
To continue our quest of space,
The look on their faces tell
Their mission was to win the race.

                                
As they flew through the glorious sky
Their thoughts were of duties onboard,
They never thought a good-bye
Would be their final reward.


The reason is not yet known
Nor may it ever be,
But let's bow our heads in grace
To comfort both you and me.


God bless their families with peace
As only You can do,
May their tears eventually cease
As they find their comfort in You.


Guide them through these days of sorrow
As they walk this path filled with pain,
Bring hope into each tomorrow
Let it be known that Your love will remain.


Let them remember the joyous days
They shared with their loved ones, now gone,
Let them glow in the words of praise
Spoken from each of our hearts, at dawn.


As their country kneels down to pray
For their comfort and lasting peace,
Remembering them each new day
In their prayers; never to cease.


God, Guard them with angels' silver wings
Let Your light shine upon their face,
Let their heart beat as lovely choirs sing
Let them know the strength of Your Grace.


In the name of Your Son, our Lord,
We ask these blessings of You
As He died so we may live,
We now pray for these astronauts, too!

In His Name...Amen

By: Sandy Lynn - 02/01/03 
Copyright







On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia  
exploded at the finale of the 16-day-long mission 
STS-107. The vehicle broke up while traveling at 
12,500 mph (Mach 18.3) at an altitude of 207,135 feet 
over East Central Texas, resulting in the loss of 
both vehicle and crew.  The seven heroic astronauts 
who lost their lives in this tragedy are pictured 
above, in NASA's official crew portrait. Seated in 
front are astronauts Rick D. Husband (left), mission 
commander, and William C. McCool, pilot. Standing are 
(from left) astronauts David M. Brown, Laurel B. Clark, 
Kalpana Chawla and Michael P. Anderson, all mission 
specialists; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist 
representing the Israeli Space Agency.






Our journey into space will go on. 

In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. 
Yet farther than we can see there is comfort and hope. 
In the words of the prophet Isaiah, 
"Lift your eyes and look to the heavens.
Who created all these? He who brings out the starry 
hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because 
of his great power and mighty strength, not one of 
them is missing."

The same creator who names the stars also knows the 
names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of 
the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; 
yet we can pray that all are safely home. 

May God bless the grieving families, and may God 
continue to bless America.

George W. Bush
President
United States of America
February 1, 2003