A tribute to the seven who died fulfilling our common desire for knowledge

As I heard news of the tragic fate of the
Space Shuttle Columbia, a tear came to my eye. I began to
wonder why. I did not know any of the astronauts, and I have never
been involved with NASA’s Space Exploration Program.

Soon after, I noticed that I was not the only one affected.
News channels across the globe had nonstop coverage of the
disaster. It seemed the entire world was united in sorrow.

I couldn’t help but wonder why the news of a bus accident
or of a small plane crash with seven people in it never receives
the extensive coverage this tragedy received. Then, it hit me.

I am an astronaut.

All humans are astronauts.

The desire to know the unknown is an innate universal trait
belonging to all of mankind. That desire is why a baby puts
everything in his or her mouth. That desire is why a child
always asks questions. That desire is why we are in college. We all
want to know that which we do not know.

Astronauts are an exemplary model of our thirst for knowledge.
Astronauts are exploring not only what they do not know, but what
no one knows. No professor can teach you what astronauts find out
firsthand. They are the explorers of the “Final
Frontier.”

So, the six Americans and one Israeli aboard the shuttle were
not just seven ordinary people. They were seven people dedicated to
the preservation of our defining human trait of wanting to know the
unknown. They were, in effect, seven heroes. Sadly, it took a
tragedy for us to understand that. In honor of their memory, I will
tell you a little bit about them and what they died doing.

Commander Rick Husband decided as a child that he would be an
astronaut. It took him four attempts, but his persistence finally
paid off when he was selected in 1994. He is survived by his wife
and two children.

Pilot William McCool became an astronaut in 1996. When
conducting an interview from the shuttle, he said:
“It’s beyond imagination, until you actually get up and
see it and experience it and feel it.” He is survived by a
wife and three sons.

Michael Anderson was one of only a handful of black astronauts.
When asked about the risks of being an astronaut he said:
“For me, it’s the fact that what I’m doing can
have great consequences and great benefits for everyone, for
mankind.”

Kalpana Chawla emigrated to the United States from India during
the 1980s. She was seen as a heroine throughout India. “When
you look at the stars and the galaxy, you feel that you are not
just from any particular piece of land, but from the solar
system.”

David Brown was both a pilot and a doctor. He saw becoming an
astronaut as simply an extension of the risks of being a pilot for
the Navy. He was selected to be an astronaut in 1996. This was his
first mission.

Laurel Clark was a medical surgeon. She was aboard Columbia to
help with scientific experiments. “There’s a lot of different
things that we do during life that could potentially harm us, and I
choose not to stop doing those things.” She is survived by
her husband and son.

Ilan Ramon was the first Israeli in space. The son of an
Auschwitz death camp survivor, he was seen as the pride and joy of
his country during trying times. He was the first person to request
kosher meals and mark the Jewish Sabbath in outer space. He is
survived by his wife and four children.

The mission Columbia and its crew members were on was named
STS-107 (Space Transportation System, 107th scheduled flight). They
were set to perform 80 experiments focusing on human physiology,
fire suppression, and other areas of research relevant to everyone
across the globe. Fundamental to their researching endeavors is the
fact that much of what we think know about theses topics is flawed
due to gravity. By studying such subjects in microgravity, we come
to know a lot more about their true essence.

The seven people who died on Saturday 39 miles above the earth
were each so different from us in their lives, yet so similar to us
in their core desires. They went into space because they wanted to
know. They took their desire to one of its ultimate levels, and
because of that, they were role models for all of us. They were our
seven heroes.

Levy is a fourth-year studying computer science and electrical
engineering. E-mail him at [email protected]