The crew of Columbia shuttle flight STS-107. Seated from left are Rick D. Husband, mission commander; Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; and William C. McCool, pilot. Standing from left are David M. Brown, Laurel B. Clark, and Michael P. Anderson, all mission specialists; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist from the Israeli Space Agency.
TWENTY FOUR AND COUNTING
(Columbia)
There's seven more Heroes
Added to that legacy
Of space flight and travel
From the Cape of Kennedy.
An almost perfect Mission
Of the scientific kind
With a myriad of experiments
Meant, to better humankind.
Two Ladies and five Men
Plus thousands on the ground
Excited about their return
As they were homeward bound.
Only minutes left, to complete
Another page of history
Only to leave us, with questions
Of yet, another tragedy.
Sadly, we all forget
About the dangers of each Flight
We take it all for granted
When, everything goes right.
But, we'll keep on going on
For it's in, the Nature of Man
To not let the setbacks
Change, the goal of the Plan.
Through lives ended, prematurely
By what, some Greater Power willed
They left their mark upon this Earth
With some dreams, they have fulfilled.
Now, they're with that growing Crew
Who fly around in Heaven
Another group, who we should call
"The Magnificent Seven".