STS-107 Columbia Memorial - Rusk, TX - Space Flight Memorials and Exhibits on Waymarking.com

The Texas State Railroad was very instrumental in providing access by train to wooded areas along the Space Shuttle Columbia debris field that could not be reached by highways, county roads, or other secondary roads for locating pieces of the space shuttle. NASA established this memorial in remembrance to the seven astronauts who lost their lives on February 1, 2003. The memorial also expresses gratitude to the countless people who dedicated time to assist NASA in the recovery efforts.

The plaque mounted on the wall above the panels reads:

“In memory of the crew of the United States Space Shuttle Columbia, February 1, 2003”

“With deep appreciation of your vital contributions to the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery efforts and for helping forge a lasting partnership with the NASA family and the community for the benefit of all”. From the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Astronauts: Rick D. Husband, William C. McCool, David M. Brown, Kalpawna Chawla, Michael P. Anderson, Laurel B. Clark, Ilan Ramon

The panels mounted below the plaque depict a drawing of Columbia, descriptions of science experiments aboard the STS-107 mission, recovery efforts (including a map of the debris field), and biographies of the crewmembers.

Note from the waymark poster:
It is with humble remembrance and honor that I post this waymark. I was one of many East Texans that was a first-hand witness to this tragedy. As an amateur radio operator (my callsign at that time was AD5KM, now K5BDL), I was in a position as an Emergency Communications coordinator for Cherokee County and had helped gather people to serve as supplemental communications members for NASA and other state and local government entities. I will forever remember the day that the space shuttle came down from the skies above my house. I was also present at the NASA dedication in Rusk on March 19, 2005.

Hours: The park is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except on holidays). Fee (if no fee, enter 'none'): No fee to stop at the memorial site. However, there is a $5 day use parking fee if staying to take a round-trip train ride to Palestine, TX. How Long a Hike: less than 100 feet from the parking lot Amount of time an average person would spend here: Less than an hour Accessible?: yes Location is wheelchair accessible?: Yes

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