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Col. Ilan Ramon was one of the seven astronauts lost on space shuttle Columbia
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| By Debbie Berman February 2, 2003 |
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Israeli citizens today mourned the tragic death of the country's first astronaut, Col. Ilan Ramon. Ramon's mission aboard the space shuttle Columbia had instilled Israelis with pride and unified the nation. Israeli schools devoted class time to study about the space mission, and Israeli and U.S. flags were flown at half-mast today at ceremonies commemorating the lives of Ramon and his American colleagues.
Ramon's launch into space aboard the Columbia on a sixteen-day science mission captured the attention and lifted the spirits of the Israel public, who quickly promoted him to status of national hero. Ramon, who served as an Air Force combat fighter in two Israeli wars, was part of the team that destroyed the Iraqi nuclear reactor. On his mission into space, Ramon showed his pride in his Jewish heritage and an all-encompassing hope for improved quality of life on earth.
"Ramon was not just a pilot or astronaut, he was a symbol," said Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Dan Gillerman said. "He was a symbol of excellence and freedom, when Israel was undergoing one of the most difficult experiences of its life. Now the devastation and the horror and the grief are just unimaginable."
Ramon was aboard Columbia as a Payload Specialist, responsible for conducting scientific experimentation to gather information on dust storms and gravity effects. The Columbia crew worked around the clock and conducted a marathon of experiments, prompting NASA to determine the mission a success in scientific terms two days before landing.
"We are in shock, all of the experiments we've done are lost, but nothing is worth the heavy price we're paying now," said Professor Zeev Levin of Tel Aviv University.
Students at the ORT technical high school in Kiryat Motzkin, whose experiment examining the affects of zero gravity on the growth of crystals was one of those selected for the shuttle mission, had a hard time absorbing the loss. Adar Moritz, an ORT student who had been in Florida to view the Columbia liftoff, said he and his friends gathered last night to talk about what had happened, "We just had to be together at this moment. It's a painful moment for us all." The students planned to continue sharing their feelings on the disaster at school today and suggested the possibility of renaming their school in honor of Ramon.
Schools across the country will dedicate class time this week to learning about the Columbia space shuttle's mission, focusing on the background, goals and personal history of Ilan Ramon. "The people of Israel and the education system bow their heads over the loss of Colonel Ilan Ramon, a man who became a symbol of national pride," said Education Minister Limor Livnat.
"Time will be dedicated to his memory, the memory of his crewmembers, the nature of the space mission, and the lessons that we all have to draw for the future of our lives from their courage and their dedication," added Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert.
Bush, Sharon exchange condolences
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and U.S. President George W. Bush exchanged condolences over the telephone. A spokesperson for Bush said, "The president said he knows that aboard the shuttle was a brave Israeli, Colonel Ilan Ramon, and asked that the Ramon family receive the condolences of the entire American people, his personal condolences, and expressed solidarity with them at this difficult time in their lives."
Sharon's official statement called for joint U.S.-Israeli grieving and prayer. "The prime minister expressed his sincere condolences for the American and for the astronauts' families and noted that at times like these the hearts of the American and Israeli peoples beat as one. We hold hands together and pray together."
Sharon added his personal praise for Ramon. "I spoke to Ilan a number of times before he took off on his last mission, and I spoke to him while he was on board. In my conversations with Ilan, I recognized a man of values, a man who dearly loved his people and his country, a man who did not deserve to be taken from us, along with our hopes, dreams, history and future, to a place beyond that which we could have ever have imagined."
In a ceremony today to commemorate the fallen astronauts during the weekly government meeting, Sharon expressed his hopes of sending another Israeli astronaut into space in the future. "Their deaths were not in vain. Man's journey into space will continue. Cooperation between the United States and Israel in this field will also continue. The day will come when we will launch more Israeli astronauts into space. I am sure that each and every one of them will carry in his heart the memory of Ilan Ramon, a pioneer in Israeli space travel," Sharon said.
"Ilan Ramon brought pride to the people of Israel and glorified the name of the nation," said President Moshe Katsav. In an e-mail Ramon sent from space to the President, the astronaut conveyed his personal reflections as he viewed Jerusalem from space. "Over the past four and half years I have trained for this mission... finally we have succeeded. This morning we flew over Israel. For the first time I clearly saw Jerusalem. While I was looking down at it I recited the small prayer of 'Shema Yisrael.' We have the greatest people in our country, and we only need the right leadership to enable the people of Israel to reach the skies."
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