Feb. 1 marks 5th anniversary of shuttle crash

Some events in history are so powerful that they become frozen in time. The Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the attack on Pearl Harbor as well as the crash of the space shuttle Challenger are but a few in modern history.

The events of Feb. 1, 2003, and the crash of the space shuttle Columbia will be recalled and repeated to children and grandchildren, some not yet born.

Seven astronauts died over the skies of East Texas, just 16 minutes away from the planned landing at Kennedy Space Center.

Their names and their ultimate sacrifices should never be forgotten: Rick Husband, commander; William McCool, pilot; Lauren Clark, mission specialist; Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; Michael Anderson, payload commander; David Brown, mission specialist and Han Ramon, payload specialist.

Cherokee County, one of five counties in the epicenter of the debris pattern, responded with legions of volunteers who have helped in recovery efforts and ultimately to honor the memory of the Columbia 7.

Each astronaut crew designs an insignia for space shuttle launches with symbolism regarding the mission objective. Because STS-107 was science oriented, the design features the microgravity symbol, ìg, as a central element that flows into the rays of the astronaut symbol.

The mission inclination is portrayed by the 39 degree angle of the astronaut symbol to the earth's horizon. The sunrise represents the numerous experiments on microgravity research on the International Space Station and beyond.

The constellation Columba (the dove) was chosen to symbolize peace on earth and the space shuttle Columbia.

The seven stars also represent the mission crew members and honor them. The Israeli flag is adjacent to Han Ramon's name, the payload specialist who was the first person from his country to explore space.