Home > A Letter To Our Nation's Youth

Earth Crew Astronaut School Meet the Astronauts Living in Space Bringing Space Home Explorer's Galaxy

This message is to our Youth. On February 1, 2003, seven brave explorers died in a terrible accident aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. They were people who lived and worked in our communities and who had families much like yours. They were united in learning and sharing their lessons to make the world a better place. Their names are: Rick D. Husband, Commander William C. McCool, Pilot Laurel B. Clark, Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Mission Specialist Michael P. Anderson, Payload Specialist David M. Brown, Mission Specialist Ilan Ramon, Payload Specialist We owe them our gratitude for the great risk that they took in the service to all humanity. We at NASA want you to know that we are going to do whatever it takes to find out what happened and fix it. You may be wondering what you, as students, can do at a time like this. Actually, you can do a lot. Although you may be sad, we owe it to the Columbia crew to not give up; we must continue the journey that they began. Continue to dream and to pursue your goals. Your families, teachers, and the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia would want you to be the best that you can be, in all that you do.

Children's Museum website