Science Mission Also Dubbed Poetry Mission

For the members of the FREESTAR team and the Columbia crew, STS-107 became known as the poetry mission exchanging poems between the ground crew and the astronauts.

Dr. Joseph at Goddard working MEIDEX project.

According to Katie Barthelme, Mission Operations Director for FREESTAR, early in the mission Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon voiced a tribute to Dr. Joachim (Yoya) Joseph. Yoya, as he is referred to, who is a holocaust survivor is the primary investigator for the MEIDEX experiment. Ilan was carrying a small Torah scroll possessed by Yoya since his days as a boy in a concentration camp. In appreciation, Yoya wrote poems and messages for each of the astronauts. They were up linked to the crew.

The following poem was voiced down to Yoya from the crew as thanks for his words:

Yoya Joseph our friend on the ground
Sends us daily poems as we go round-n-round
His warm friendly eyes
Make us all realize
What a wonderful friend we have found

Yoya's Poems:

To My Friends In the Sky (paraphrasing the Bard) - final installment, sent the day prior to entry

When shall we all meet again
In thunder, lightning or in rain
When the sprites are lost and won
When the dust is settled and gone
And the shuttle is still and alone

Hail to the Seven.

A group of seven flew to space,
Their fame is growing apace.
Their work concerns seventy two and seven,
To us they speak from heaven.
Divided into two, they are three and four,
To us they are one with spirit galore.

	Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon confirms MEIDEX operations with Katie and Meir Moalem from the MEIDEX team in Israel.

Ilan the Man.

A man was selected five years ago,
His mission was to Space to go.
He is used to fly but now he floats
And over us poor mortals he gloats.
He talks to us as a proud Jew
And all of Space is his pew.

Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla (or KC) and Ilan observe Rick and Willie operating SOLSE and MEIDEX while Katie makes real-time changes to the crew procedures.

To KC: Ode To A Lady Far Away.

There is a fair lady named KC Her hair is flying from her facee,
But her feet are firmly planted in Spacee.
Her hands are busy seeking their goals,
While her eyes are penetrating our souls

To Dave: A pseudo limerick to a Man named Dave.

There is a man named Dave,Who to be in space his all gave.
He hunts for Sprites but catches Elves,
Which just want to be alone by themselves.
He sets them all up in good order
And immortalizes them with his video recorder.

	STS-107 (lft) Commander Rick Husband, Pilot Willie McCool and Payload Commander Michael Anderson during crew training at GSFC in March 2002 with crew trainer Phil Murray and FREESTAR Mission Operations Katie Barthleme. Photos Courtesy: Tammy brown

To Rick: Ode to a man named Rick.

I know a man proud and devout,
Who serves his country with intelligence and clout.
His business is space
But his heart embraces the race.
My thoughts are of him,
While he is doing his thing.

To Mike: Ode to a Quiet Man

Through training and ops you see his dedication,
To millions of kids a real inspiration
With attention to detail, he thinks fore he speaks
Success and science - the goals that he seeks
We wish you the best, up there in the sky
As over our heads through the heavens you fly

To Laurel: To a lady and a Doctor,

There is an astronaut lady far up in space,
Carrying out experiments with diligence and grace.
She keeps testing her friends,
To reach medicine's ends.
Her family is waiting for her return,
Expecting time with her to burn.