Max Baucus: “Saturday, February 1 was a sad day for America, and a sad day for the world. In the blink of an eye, we lost the cream…”

“Saturday, February 1 was a sad day for America, and a sad day for the world. In the blink of an eye, we lost the cream of our astronaut corps when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Our Nation and the world mourns the loss of these heroes: Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson, U.S. Navy Capt. David Brown, U.S. Navy Commander Laurel Clark, Dr. Kalpana Chawla, U.S. Air Force Col. Rick Husband, Naval Commander William McCool, and Israeli Air Force Colonel Ilan Ramon. The loved ones they left behind mourn the loss of fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, sisters, brothers, and friends. We have a duty to those who lost their lives for the advancement of science and increasing our knowledge of the world we live in: a duty first to find out what went wrong and make sure it never goes wrong again, a duty to take up where they left off and continue exploring the unknowns of the universe, and just as importantly, a duty to help take care of the loved ones they left behind.”