Remarks by the President on the Loss of Space Shuttle Columbia

 My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great sadness to our country. At 9:00 a.m. this morning, Mission Control in Houston lost contact with our Space Shuttle Columbia. A short time later, debris¹ was seen falling from the skies above Texas. The Columbia is lost; there are no survivors².

On board was a crew of seven: Colonel Rick Husband; Lt. Colonel Michael Anderson; Commander Laurel Clark; Captain David Brown; Commander William McCool; Dr. Kalpana Chawla; and Ilan Ramon, a Colonel in the Israeli Air Force. These men and women assumed great risk in the service to all humanity.

In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket, and the difficulties of navigating³ the fierce outer atmosphere of the Earth. These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life. Because of their courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more.

All Americans today are thinking, as well, of the families of these men and women who have been given this sudden shock and grief. You’re not alone. Our entire nation grieves with you. And those you loved will always have the respect and gratitude⁴ of this country.

The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing⁵ to understand. Our journey into space will go on.

In the skies today we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we can see there is comfort and hope. In the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Lift your eyes and look to the heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry⁶ hosts one by one and calls them each by name. Because of His great power and mighty⁷ strength, not one of them is missing."

The same Creator who names the stars also knows the names of the seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not return safely to Earth; yet we can pray that all are safely home.

May God bless the grieving families, and may God continue to bless America. 

　　布什总统在白宫发表电视讲话，向美国人民宣布哥伦比亚航天飞机失事和机组人员遇难的沉痛消息。总统表示，全美国将和7名宇航员的家人一道悲恸，并且会永远记住他们。布什还说，人类探索太空的事业将继续进行下去。下面是布什总统讲话的全文翻译：

　　美国的同胞们，今天我们的国家遭遇到可怕的消息和巨大的悲哀。今天上午九点，休斯顿控制中心和哥伦比亚号航天飞机失去了联络。没过多长时间，人们就看到残骸从德克萨斯州上空坠落，哥伦比亚号航天飞机失事，机组人员无一幸免。航天飞机上有七名宇航员，他们是里克-赫斯本德上校、 迈克尔-安德森中校、劳雷尔-克拉克中校、戴维-布朗上校、威廉-麦库尔中校、卡尔帕纳-舒拉博士和以色列空军上校伊兰-拉蒙。

　　这些男女宇航员为了全人类的事业，承担了巨大的风险。在太空飞行似乎已经变成常规作业的今天，人们很容易忽视乘坐火箭旅行的危险和在地球大气层以外航行的难度。这些宇航员了解这些危险，而且心甘情愿地面对这些危险，因为他们知道自己的生命有着崇高的目标。正是因为他们的勇气、胆识和理想主义信念，我们会更加怀念他们。今天，所有美国人都会想到这些宇航员的家人，他们经历了突如其来的震撼和悲伤。你们并不孤独，我们整个国家和你们一起哀悼。你们的亲人将永远受到美国的尊敬和感激。

　　他们为之献身的事业将继续下去。人类基于发现和求知的欲望才走进大气层以外的黑暗，我们对太空的探索会继续下去。今天，我们在空中看到了摧毁和悲剧，但是在超越我们视线的地方却有着安慰与希望。先知以赛亚说：“你们向上举目，看谁创造这万象？按数目领出，他一一称其名。因他的权能，又因他的大能大力，连一个都不缺。”为星宿命名的同一位造物主，也知道我们今天悼念的七个亡灵的名字，哥伦比亚号航天飞机的机组人员未能平安返回地球，但是我们祈祷他们全都有了平安的归宿。

　　愿神保佑他们悲恸的家人，愿神继续保佑美国。

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