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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 1, 2003
STATEMENT BY BRIAN CHASE
Executive Director, National Space Society
WASHINGTON, DC—The National Space Society expresses its profound
sorrow at the loss of the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia today.
Although all astronauts volunteer for what they know is a
potentially hazardous job, no one is ever fully prepared for loss
of life, and our hearts go out to the families and friends of the
crew as the world mourns this tragic loss. The crew of the Space
Shuttle Columbia are true heroes and will long be held dear in our
hearts and minds.
There is a crew onboard the International Space Station as we
speak, however, and that crew relies on the capabilities of the
Space Shuttle fleet for propulsion and to ferry crew and cargo.
Although a careful and methodical investigation must be conducted,
it is vital that NASA move as quickly as possible to safely resume
flying the Space Shuttle fleet to support ISS. Additionally, the
Bush Administration should work quickly to replace the lost launch
capability represented by Columbia, whether that means a building a
replacement Orbiter or a new reusable launch vehicle.
Exploration and discovery have always entailed risk, and astronauts
embarking on flights to space are fully aware of the risk involved.
When faced with the loss of colleagues in the past, those on the
front lines of risk—the astronauts themselves—have
always called for the continuation of human space exploration and
the resumption of operations as quickly as possible. We strongly
encourage NASA, the Bush Administration, and Congress to heed their
advice and not unduly slow the human exploration of space. The
number of people watching the Columbia returning home is a
testament to the continuing interest of the American people in
human space flight. Let us honor our brave astronauts by continuing
this spirit of the human exploration of space.
The National Space Society, formed in 1974 by Wernher von Braun, is
an independent, non-profit space advocacy organization
headquartered in Washington, D.C. Its 23,000 members and over 50
chapters around the world actively promote a spacefaring
civilization.
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