Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia. To their families, I offer my heartfelt condolences. As a nation, we deeply mourn their loss.
These seven brave men and women aboard the Columbia represented the best of our country, the community of nations, and of humanity. I have had the privilege of working with NASA scientists, engineers, and astronauts. To these dedicated men and women, their work is a mission, their colleagues are family. Working together across ethnic, religious, and geographical boundaries, they exemplified the synergism of teamwork, in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Just as they did so well, we must continue to display the courage to take on new challenges, seek answers to the mysteries of nature and the world around us, and we must do so together.
Through their spaceflight, the Columbia crew inspired us to think, imagine, and dream beyond the world we can see. They bravely faced daunting challenges in order to reveal the wonders of science. Their lives were dedicated to scientific exploration and the betterment of humankind.
They were truly pioneers, bridging the gap between the known and the unknown, venturing into the depths of space. As scientific voyagers, they expanded the boundaries of knowledge, enabling us to learn more about our universe and our own planet. Their quest to answer as yet unanswered questions embodied mankind's continual search for knowledge and truth.
In honor of their memory and their legacy, we must carry on where they have left off. We must reaffirm our commitment as a nation to space exploration and scientific discovery. We must continue to fund our national space program, to explore our solar system and beyond. We must set ambitious and daring goals, such as landing man on Mars. We must, and we shall, continue the journey that the crew of the Columbia so bravely began.