Lee Terry: “Among the many tributes to the brave men and women aboard the space shuttle Columbia, let me add my condolences to each…”

“Among the many tributes to the brave men and women aboard the space shuttle Columbia, let me add my condolences to each of the families that suffered a loss in this tragedy. These seven individuals devoted their lives to advancing our dreams of space exploration. In their hometowns, in our schools and communities, as well as in space, they worked to enhance our appreciation for their mission. They took time to educate everyone from the youngest aspiring astronauts to those of us who simply marveled at their achievements. In particular, Michael P. Anderson affected the constituents of Nebraska's second Congressional District. Michael was born in Plattsburg, NY, but was stationed at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska from 1986 to 1990. At Offutt, Michael flew EC-135s, or Looking Glass, missions. By 1990 he had earned his master's degree in physics from Creighton University in Omaha. Then in 1994, Michael was selected to join NASA as a future astronaut. In 1998, on his first mission to space, he became the first African-American to visit a space station. Even though he logged over 211 hours of space flight time, Michael never forgot his time in Nebraska.”