"Even the Stars Have a Special Brightness"

UW System alumna Laurel Blair Salton Clark was among the seven flight crew members who lost their lives Feb. 1, 2003, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Laurel Blair Salton Clark (Contributing: NASA)

Clark, 41, earned her bachelor of science degree in zoology from UW-Madison's College of Letters and Science and her doctorate in medicine from the UW-Madison Medical School. Clark was a loyal friend of the university and will be remembered as a dedicated physician and talented researcher who contributed her warm spirit and vision toward each of her countless achievements.

The following are excerpts from an e-mail message Clark sent to family and friends on January 30, 2003, from aboard the Columbia. The message was released publicly by her family after the loss of the shuttle.

"Hello from above our magnificent planet Earth. The perspective is truly awe-inspiring. This is a terrific mission and we are very busy doing science round the clock. Just getting a moment to type e-mail is precious so this will be short, and distributed to many who I know and love.

"I have seen some incredible sights: lightning spreading over the Pacific, the Aurora Australis lighting up the entire visible horizon with the cityglow of Australia below, the crescent moon setting over the limb of the Earth, the vast plains of Africa and the dunes on Cape Horn, rivers breaking through tall mountain passes, the scars of humanity, the continuous line of life extending from North America, through Central America and into South America, a crescent moon setting over the limb of our blue planet. Mount Fuji looks (like) a small bump from up here, but it does stand out as a very distinct landmark.

"Magically, the very first day we flew over Lake Michigan and I saw Wind Point (Wis.) clearly. Haven't been so lucky since. Every orbit we go over a slightly different part of the Earth. Of course, much of the time I'm working back in Spacelab and don't see any of it. Whenever I do get to look out, it is glorious. Even the stars have a special brightness.

". . . I feel blessed to be here representing our country and carrying out the research of scientists around the world. All of the experiments have accomplished most of their goals despite the inevitable hiccups that occur when such a complicated undertaking is undertaken. Some experiments have even done extra science. A few are finished and one is just getting started today. . .

"Thanks to many of you who have supported me and my adventures throughout the years. This was definitely one to beat all. I hope you could feel the positive energy that beamed to the whole planet as we glided over our shared planet.

"Love to all, Laurel."