AJR20: Joint Resolution Text

LRB-1903/1

CGR:jld:rs

2003 - 2004 LEGISLATURE

2003 Assembly JOINT RESOLUTION 20

February 20, 2003 - Introduced by Representatives Schneider, Boyle, Plouff, Travis, Sinicki, M. Lehman, Young, Loeffelholz, Balow, Gronemus, Krawczyk, J. Lehman, Seratti, Kaufert, McCormick, Suder, Musser, Ladwig, Albers, Ainsworth, Vruwink, Nischke, Pope-Roberts, Olsen, Morris, Vrakas, Hines, Berceau, Jeskewitz, Gielow, Hahn, Shilling, Miller, Van Akkeren, Weber, Jensen, Kreuser, Colon, Krug, Hubler and Lassa, cosponsored by Senators Carpenter, Breske, Kedzie, Harsdorf, Lazich, Risser, Schultz, Brown, Roessler and Kanavas.

AJR20,1,1 Relating to: the lives and tragic deaths of the Columbia space shuttle astronauts.

AJR20,1,5 Whereas, the Columbia space shuttle's crew, comprised of men and women from different nations and diverse backgrounds who represented the dreams and aspirations of our nation and other nations and who were dedicated to expanding the boundaries of scientific research and space flight exploration; and

AJR20,1,7 Whereas, their 16-day mission was pure science in which 80 experiments were performed; and

AJR20,1,11 Whereas, on February 1, 2003, while the space shuttle Columbia was coming home from another successful mission, it disintegrated high above the Texas and Louisiana skies as it descended toward a landing at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida; and

AJR20,1,13 Whereas, the Columbia is the first space vehicle to be lost during reentry since NASA's inception in 1958; and

AJR20,2,3 Whereas, the wreck of the Columbia just minutes from landing tragically reminded the people of the United States and the world that journeying into space remains a perilous endeavor; and

AJR20,2,5 Whereas, with the tragic loss of the Columbia, the people are also reminded of the 1986 loss of the space shuttle Challenger and its crew; and

AJR20,2,7 Whereas, the Columbia's commander, U.S. Air Force Colonel Rick D. Husband had harbored an ambition to be an astronaut since boyhood; and

AJR20,2,10 Whereas, as the mission neared its end, Columbia's commander called for a moment of silence so the crew could mark the 17th anniversary of the explosion of the Challenger during its launch; and

AJR20,2,12 Whereas, U.S. Navy Commander William C. McCool, the Columbia's pilot, was making his first trip into space; and

AJR20,2,16 Whereas, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Michael Anderson, the shuttle's payload commander, U.S. Navy Captain David Brown, one of the Columbia's mission specialists, and Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, aerospace engineer, were veterans of earlier space missions and related activities; and

AJR20,2,17 Whereas, Ilan Ramon was Israel's first astronaut; and

AJR20,2,21 Whereas, Wisconsin was directly affected by the loss of U.S. Navy Commander Laurel Clark, the Columbia's mission specialist, who considered Racine her hometown and who received both a B.S. degree and medical degree from UW-Madison; now, therefore, be it

AJR20,2,25 Resolved by the assembly, the senate concurring, That the members of the Wisconsin legislature honor the memory of these 7 astronauts, express their sorrow at their deaths, share in the memory of their achievements, and extend their condolences to their families and friends; and, be it further

AJR20,3,6 Resolved, That the assembly chief clerk shall provide copies of this joint resolution to Ron Dittemore, the shuttle program manager at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas; to the families of each Columbia astronaut; to Sean O'Keefe, administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); to the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C.; and to each member of the Wisconsin congressional delegation.

AJR20,3,7 (End)