The Benefits of Being a Space Nerd- Knowledge of Names
- Girl in my Anthropology 101 class: "Ilana. But it's spelled 'I-L-A-N-A'. It's Hebrew for-"
- Me: "-Tree."
- Girl in my Anthropology 101 class: *gives me strange look*
- (I'm glad she didn't ask how I knew, because "From information about a dead astronaut on a plaque at the Smithsonian explaining a work of semi-surrealist art." would have sounded weird.)
kaiyves replied to your post: how did I just learn — like JUST NOW LEARN — that Ilan Ramon’s oldest son was killed in a plane crash three years ago
You didn’t… I’m sorry. I assumed that you knew since you know so much about all of them. *hugs*
yeah, that’s partly why I was so upset, because I couldn’t believe I never knew about that incident until just now. I suppose a part of me feels strange looking up anything about the families and children of the crew, because I want to honor their lives and privacy, you know? Just because information may be out there on the internet, I don’t want to go digging too deep. If that makes sense.
Unfortunately, you really don’t have to “dig too deep” to learn about this story. :’(
1.2.03- Space Shuttle Columbia Destruction
Space Shuttle Columbia (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first spaceworthy Space Shuttle in NASA’s orbital fleet. First launched on the STS-1 mission, the first of the Space Shuttle program, it completed 27 missions before disintegrating during re-entry on February 1, 2003 near the end of its 28th, STS-107. The destruction of the orbiter killed all those on board.
Among those who were killed was the first Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon. His eldest son, Asaf Ramon, died on September 13, 2009, aged 21, during a routine training flight while piloting his F-16A, 3 months after graduating from the IAF flight school as the top cadet in his class. I personally heard his plane fly over my town on its way to crash- we only found out later what it was on the news.
The Columbia crew
Asaf Ramon
