of its first ever astronaut who was among the seven-person crew believed killed in space shuttle Columbia, which broke up before it landed.
In a statement prime minister’s office said that the Israeli citizens were united in this time of crisis. "The Government and the people of Israel are praying for the family" of Ilan Ramon, 48, a former air force colonel and the son of a Holocaust survivor. His air force career included bombing an Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981.
"The government of Israel and the people of Israel are praying together with the entire world for the safety of the astronauts on the shuttle Columbia. The state of Israel and its citizens are as one at this difficult time."
However NASA officials warned the shuttle could not make a safe emergency landing after the accident happened at the altitude estimated at about 200,000 feet, at least 60 kilometres.
"Everything seemed as going as planned," before the mission controller lost contact at around 9 am local time, said NASA Spokesman Andre Valentine. The U.S. flag was lowered at half staff at the Cape Canaveral Space Centre shortly after eye-witnesses in the United States, especially in Texas, watched and heard falling debris from the shuttle.
WIFE WOKE UP
"My wife woke up of the boom, and we saw the trails in the sky. It bothered us, it is tragic its not the kind of story we like to cover. There is a field of debris here," said reporter Dave Berry from Tyler Morning Telegraph, Texas.
NASA warned citizens to stay away from the toxic debris. In Israel there was great shock about the fact that its first ever citizen was lost in space. "Jewish people in the united states they really don’t believe that I am an astronaut" said Ramon a former fighter pilot, in a television interview before his historic space trip.
Israelis also hoped to see how he celebrates Sabbath, the Jewish resting day on their television screens.
"You can see in their eyes, they really don’t believe that I am an astronaut. For them it is really out of this world," Ramon said. Israelis had closely watched the movements of Ramon, who carried a panting Moon Landscape by 14-year old Jewish boy Peter Ginz, who was at Auschwitz in the Holocaust.
FATHER IN SHOCK
Ramon also packed a credit-card sized microfiche of the Bible given him by Israeli President Moshe Katsav and some mezuzas – small cases that are hung on door frames of Jewish homes and contain inscriptions from the Bible, the Associated Press said.
Ramon’s 79-year-old father also gave him family photos to take into space and a brother had a letter stowed away in the shuttle for Ramon to read in orbit.
His father, who was expected to comment on his son’s return to earth on Israel Television Channel Two was rushed to a secluded location as soon as it became clear that the Shuttle had broken up, reports said.
WIFE RONA
Ramon’s wife Rona and their three small children were in Texas, where the space shuttle was to land. They have been living there for the past several years as Ramon prepared for the flight, Dana Kursch, of the Israeli consulate in Houston, told Israel Radio.
"We are extremely upset and under stress," the British Broadcasting Corporation quoted other family members as saying. They reportedly gathered in northern Israel, and were expected to fly to America shortly.
Besides Ramon who was recruited in 1997, Shuttle commander Rick D. Husband, pilot William C. McCool, payload commander Michael P. Anderson, mission specialists David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark were also on board.
OLD SHUTTLE
Analysts say Columbia is the oldest of NASA’s shuttle fleet, first launched in 1981. It was on its 28th mission. United States President George W. Bush was being briefed at Camp David, Maryland, and was expected to return to the White House by noon.
In a statement the White House said it had no indication yet that terrorism was to blame for the crash. Meanwhile armed guards were seen in the NASA centre to protect the data and documents, after a state of emergency was declared in the area.
"We have received numerous calls from the area, about what is going on. People have been calling, and residents are upset. Our guard is securing the debris sites,"said Lt. Paul Peterson, of the Nacogdoches Police Department, Texas.
"They can’ t believe that this has happened…"
