Arlington, Virginia February 1, 2003

The Space Transportation Association joins all other members of the space community in expressing our grief and sadness at the loss of the space shuttle Columbia and its STS-107 crew today. This tragedy is a shock to all who participate in space exploration, and all who love our country. At this hour of our grief, we are united in our support for their families, friends, and coworkers, but also in our shared determination to find the cause of this terrible accident, make whatever modifications are required to our shuttle fleet, and press on with the human exploration of space.

At moments such as this, we are all reminded that the exploration of space contains risks as well as reward. Those men and women who take those risks so that the benefits of space are shared to all are among the greatest heroes of our time.

So we at STA are proud to stand with them, with the NASA family, the Israeli nation, and with the shuttle contractor community, in particular United Space Alliance, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and their many subcontractors, friends, and associates. We stand with you all, because your cause is our own.

This is a dark hour for us all. But such hours will pass, to be illuminated once again with the light of a newer better day.

May God bless the families of the STS-107 astronauts, and may He always watch over the United States of America.

Frank Sietzen

President, Space Transportation Association