Seven New Stars

Presentation of the Space Pioneers Award
at the
International Space Development Conference
Sunday 25 May 2003

Introduction by Kirby Ikin, President and Chairman of the National Space Society:

"Tonight the National Space Society honors the crew of Columbia and awards them the 2003 Space Pioneer Award. Accepting the award on behalf of the families of the crew of Space Shuttle Columbia is Mr. Barry McCool, father of Navy Commander William C. McCool, the pilot of Columbia.

Barry McCool (r), father of Columbia pilot Willy McCool, accepting the 2003 Space Pioneer Award from NSS President and Chariman Kirby Ikin.

"Before I invite Mr. McCool to accept the award - just a couple of quick points about Mr. McCool himself. He is a retired US Navy pilot and he and his wife are both professors at the University of Nevada in Los Vegas. Perhaps, most poignantly, they are both NSS members and they have been since the late 1980's. Perhaps the greatest significance of all, they have been, and continue to be, very strong advocates of the continuation of human space exploration.

"I'd like to invite Mr. McCool to come up and accept the 2003 Space Pioneer Award on behalf of the families and crew of the Space Shuttle Columbia."

[APPLAUSE]

Remarks of Professor Barry McCool:

"This was very unexpected. I want to thank Brian Chase [Executive Director of the National Space Society] for contacting me and inviting me to speak.

"To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what I was getting into. I've learned a tremendous amount about the future of exploration in space. I don't have to tell anybody in this room and I don't have to justify what these seven new stars accomplished and what they had given to the exploration of space. Most of the interviews that I've given in these last tough four months I've had to justify why they were they were there and why they gave the utmost that they could for their country. With you individuals, I don't have to do that.

"I'd to talk a little bit about the crew and some of the individuals that it has been my pleasure to know in a non-hostile joyous type of environment.

"I was much like Pat [Montoure, chairman of ISDC 2003], doing a conference for an educational group of students from all over the US. It was a nursing conference from National Intramural Association of Sports. I was in the convention board one afternoon when I got, just like everyone else, a call on my cellphone. I had the president of the organization with me at the time when I answered that telephone. At the other end was Rick Husband, the commander of Columbia. I had never met Rick and he was calling me to thank me for his right hand man, William my son. He took time out from a simulator to call me and thank me. This was the type of individual that was one of the members of the crew.

"I had the privilege of attending a picnic honoring an astronaut from the German space administration that was on his way home after he completed his mission in space in Houston and to welcome Ilan Roman to the space program. Ilan and Rona, his wife, were sponsored by my son Willy and his wife Atilana, or Lani as she is known. They guided him through the training program not only for the astronauts but for the spouses and their children. And at this picnic I had the opportunity to meet what would be the future crew of the STS 107. Even then it was quite obvious that these were special individuals. The time that I had with those individuals I will cherish.

"I had the opportunity, the night before the launch, to attend a beach-house dinner with the crew and parents at the Cape. It was during that time that I had astronauts, not only STS-107's, but all the astronauts that were there, come up and talk to me about my son. The recurring theme was that they wanted to be on his crew on the next mission that Willy flew as commander. I can't ask for anything more.

"No one should have to bury a son or a daughter ahead of their time. It's been a tough four months.

"To give you an idea of what my family and I have been doing, I have a son that's a Blackhawk chopper pilot in the 10th Mountain Division in Fort Drum, New York. He went to the high school in Syracuse, New York and did a presentation and a thank you for the students that had the ant experiment that was on STS-107. My daughter spoke to Girl Scouts and to civic organizations and schools in Orlando, Florida and the Cape on the value of staying in school and continuing pushing the barriers of the frontiers of space beyond where they are now. My wife and I have spoken to numerous schools and I just found out I have another speaking engagement to K-5 grades Tuesday afternoon.

"The message we're sending is that these astronauts gave their lives for all Mankind. The experiments that were being conducted didn't just benefit the U.S. - they benefited everyone, especially you ladies out there. The osteoporosis experiment they were conducting increases our knowledge of something near and dear to your hearts, the deterioration of bones.

"The other message that we're saying to the students we have contact with is, 'Don't let anybody tell you 'No''. If you have the desire and the heart to succeed, you can have the opportunity to participate in space. Now we all know that the astronaut program is very small and close group, and that your odds are very high against your becoming an astronaut, but you can contribute -- just like everybody in this audience is contributing to furthering the exploration and habitation of space.

"This is what we're talking to students about - don't let somebody tell you, 'you can't do it.' You can.

"I feel very privileged to be here tonight to speak to you and receive this award. I know it means a lot to me but it also means a lot to the rest of the Columbia crew and its families and I thank you for it."

Transcription by Paula Delfosse from a videotape by David Bliss.

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