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 Previous: Texas Amateurs Aid in Shuttle Debris Recovery, Cataloguing |  Next: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending January 24, 2003 |
 Outside ARRL Headquarters, the IARU, US and ARRL flags remain at half-staff in mourning for the seven Columbia astronauts lost February 1 when the shuttle broke up over Texas. In the background is one of the W1AW antenna towers. Part of the W1AW building is visible at the far right. |
NEWINGTON, CT, Feb 3, 2003--The flags of the United States, the ARRL and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) fly at half staff today at ARRL Headquarters as the Amateur Radio community has joined the rest of the world in mourning the loss of the seven shuttle Columbia astronauts. Through the Space Amateur Radio EXperiment (SAREX) and--more recently--the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) programs, amateurs have enjoyed a special relationship with the astronaut corps, many of whom are licensees. Three of the Columbia astronauts were Amateur Radio operators. The ARISS program is a joint effort of AMSAT, ARRL and NASA.
"The ultimate in public service was just given by these astronauts," said ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP. "It's a sad thing that's occurred, and our thoughts are with the families of the astronauts who died doing what they loved. They were part of us."
Haynie, who was in Florida over the weekend for the Miami Tropical Hamboree, said the news of the Columbia incident put a pall over the festivities. "You could feel it in the crowd," he said. Haynie led those attending the ARRL forum in a moment of silence in remembrance of the lost crew members.
The STS-107 crew, headed by Commander Rick Husband, included Pilot Willie McCool and Mission Specialists Kalpana "KC" Chawla, KD5ESI; David Brown, KC5ZTC; Laurel Clark, KC5ZSU, Michael Anderson, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut.
"The world has lost seven great heroes," said ARISS International Chairman Frank Bauer, KA3HDO, who extended condolences to the family and friends of the STS-107 crew. Bauer also is a NASA employee. Bauer said the Columbia catastrophe "clearly demonstrated the challenging and sometimes sobering aspects" of human space flight.
"Space travel is not easy. It is hard," he said. "We do our best to ensure there are adequate safety nets in place to ensure mission success." But, said Bauer, when things go wrong, it's essential to learn from what happened to make space travel safer.
"Our quest for space must continue despite these tragic losses," he said.
Bauer noted that "KC" Chawla had worked closely with the ARISS team for several years as astronaut liaison before stepping down when she began preparations for the STS-107 flight. "We will deeply miss her tremendous support, positive attitude, and heroism," he said.
 As onlookers shoot photos, a yellow stake marks a small piece of apparent shuttle debris found near a school in Texas. [James Smith, KD5OXM, Photo] |
"This is a difficult time for all of us." Bauer concluded. "Let's work together to keep the torch of space travel alive in the hearts and spirits of humans worldwide. And most importantly, please keep the astronauts, their family and friends in your thoughts and prayers."
Many are doing just that. The ARISS Team is receiving condolence messages from all over the globe. An e-mail from Keigo Komuro, JA1KAB, of ARISS-Japan, epitomized the tone of the messages. "I have no adequate or right words for the STS-107 tragedy other than a simple condolence, at the moment of this time," Komuro said. "On this occasion, we should remind that ARISS has also responsibility to keep the ISS as [a safe] and peaceful place in the world."
AMSAT-NA President Robin Haighton, VE3FRH--one of two Canadian ARISS representatives--expressed his great sadness at learning of the Columbia disaster. "AMSAT has always been a strong supporter of the shuttle program and of ARISS," he said. "We have had many interactions with the astronauts who have fearlessly ridden the shuttle into space--currently, several are AMSAT members and supporters."
On behalf of the AMSAT-NA Board, members and officers, Haighton extended "our deep sympathy" to the families, relatives and friends of the Columbia astronauts. "Their understanding of the risks taken on this and other missions did not prevent them from performing at the highest level and, unfortunately, paying the ultimate price," he said.
"To our friends at NASA, we at AMSAT send our understanding and our sympathy, knowing that the exploration of space and carrying out important experiments for the benefit of humanity will continue to be your mission."
Ken Pulfer, VE3PU, the other Canadian delegate to the ARISS International Team, said he found himself overwhelmed by the tragedy, both in sympathy for his US friends and because he had met so many of the astronauts himself. It was Pulfer who convinced the Canadian government to establish an astronaut corps of its own. "My condolences go out to all Americans at this time." he said, calling February 1 "a sad, sad day indeed."
STS-107 carried a Danish research project that involved measuring the astrounauts' blood pressure and heart status before, during and after the mission. President and CEO of the Experimenting Danish Radio Amateurs (EDR--Experimenterende Danske Radioamatører) Sven Lundbech, OZ7S, noted that, from the days of Eric the Red and Christopher Columbus and earlier, exploration has never been without peril. Such human endeavors to seek knowledge and develop technology require personal courage, skill and determination," he said. "We all share the grief for the astronauts, their families and their countries."
The ARRL also received messages expressing "heartfelt condolences" from Hong Kong Amateur Transmitting Society President Paul Anderson, VR2BBC, and from President Max Raicha, 5Z4MR, of the Amateur Radio Society of Kenya. Individual amateurs also have relayed their personal condolences.
ARISS International Secretary Rosalie White, K1STO, recalled that "KC" Chawla had sat next to her at an ARISS meeting at Johnson Space Center. "Kalpana was intelligent, quiet--a professional scientist with a genuine smile," White said. She also noted that Laurel Clark had done some "terrestrial SAREX QSOs" with students from W5RRR at Johnson Space Center. The Columbia mission--her first space flight--carried no Amateur Radio gear.
The practical impact of the Columbia disaster, if any, on the current schedule of ARISS school contacts is not known. The next contact on the calendar has been set for February 6 with a high school in Germany.
Families Issue Statement
The families of the NASA astronauts lost February 1 have issued a statement about the tragedy. "We want to thank the NASA family and people from around the world for their incredible outpouring of love and support," the families said in a statement released today by NASA. "Although we grieve deeply, as do the families of Apollo 1 and Challenger before us, the bold exploration of space must go on. Once the root cause of this tragedy is found and corrected, the legacy of Columbia must carry on--for the benefit of our children and yours."
 In 1999, astronaut Dr Laurel Clark, KC5ZSU, spoke with students at Holloman Middle School in New Mexico from W5RRR at Johnson Space Center in Texas. In late 1998, she talked on 20 meters with pupils at Pleasant Valley School in Winfield, Kansas. The "terrestrial" SAREX QSOs took place at a time when the demand from schools for radio contacts with astronauts was high but the number of scheduled shuttle flights was very low. Clark was among those lost in the February 1 Columbia mishap. [Dale Martin, KG5U] |
Hams Continue to Assist in Search for Debris
Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) members and SKYWARN volunteers in Texas continued over the weekend to assist in the search for debris from the shuttle Columbia. Public Information Officer Tim Lewallen, KD5ING, of the Nacogdoches Amateur Radio Club said amateurs have been assisting students and staffers from the Humanities Undergraduate Environmental Sciences (HUES) Geographic Information Systems and Forestry Resources Institute labs at Stephen F. Austin State University.
"I accompanied officials from both NASA and the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) to expedite the search and clean up of area schools," Lewallen said. Texas officials have cancelled school in most of East Texas because of fears that shuttle debris could pose a health hazard.
"Usually we just get the coordinates, take a photo and move on to the next site," Lewallen said, explaining their procedure, "and someone from NASA will come along and pick up the piece later."
He said the club had additional volunteers lined up for duty over the next few days, with amateurs coming from East Texas, Houston and Dallas.
"We have had offers of help from fellow hams from as far away as Boston!" he said. "We have been working side-by-side with emergency officials from Nacogdoches County, Texas Rangers, NASA, Texas Department of Public Safety, EPA and the National Guard."
ARRL South Texas Section Manager Ray Taylor, N5NAV, says he's been in touch with the Texas Department of Emergency Management and has been keeping up with events surrounding the mishap and the search for debris. "There are a lot of hams helping in the areas," he said. He notes that the command center for the debris search is at the Department of Public Safety in Lufkin, Texas. According to Taylor, search parties are deployed "from Texarkana to Dallas to Orange and into Louisiana."
Several amateurs in Texas reported hearing a reverberating, rumbling sound as the Columbia broke up above them and debris began to rain down on the landscape. "Very scary," said Ralston Gober, W5ZNN, of Corsicana, Texas. "It shook the heck out of my house and shack. I was on 14.230 when the explosion occurred!"
US Air Force Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) Virginia Public Affairs Officer Vinny Del Giudice, WB2KQG/AFA2MI, noted that USAF and Army MARS affiliates from Maine to Colorado stood by on the Transcon Voice (Transcontinental Voice) Net in the hours following the shuttle mishap to assist with traffic into and out of the affected area. "Stations in USAF MARS Region 4, which includes Texas, were also on stand by, as were MARS affiliates who participate in the federal government's SHARES HF radio program," Del Diudice said.
Memorial Service Set
President George
W. Bush and the First Lady will join NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe February 4
to pay tribute to lost Columbia crew during a special memorial
service at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The midday ceremony is only for
family members, friends and invited guests as well as NASA employees and
contractors. The service will be carried live
on NASA Television and via the Internet.
| Previous: Texas Amateurs Aid in Shuttle Debris Recovery, Cataloguing | Next: FCC Amateur Radio Enforcement Letters for the Period Ending January 24, 2003 |
