Bob Cabana - Director of the Kennedy Space Center: NASA has learned to listen to criticism. Rona Ramon: I want them to remember the inspiration, not the tragedy

The two spoke at the morning session of the Ilan Ramon Space Conference at the Air Force Base in Herzliya

see also: The remains of the experiment carried out by Ilan Ramon in space are returning to Israel

Bob Cabana - director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, who at the time managed the STS-107 mission, the last mission of the space shuttle Columbia, says that NASA has changed a lot since the Colosseum disaster.
Last summer, NASA opened an exhibition that includes items from the offices of the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia in the hall where the space shuttle Atlantis is displayed - one of the three shuttles that survived and were transferred to museums after the completion of the shuttle project at the beginning of the decade. The items that survived from the personal belongings of the late Ilan Ramon as well as from the experimental equipment - mainly an experiment from Midex, were transferred to a display in Israel.
Speaking at a conference in memory of Ilan Ramon held in collaboration between the Fisher Institute, the Israel Space Agency and the Ministry of Science, Kabana said: We must remember why these things happen, we must not stop and it is important for us to learn from our mistakes. It is important that we remember the series of decisions during the events, identify the risks, understand them and be sure that we understand, and until each person has a voice we will not be able to know if we missed something. "
"We brought the Madex experiment so that everyone would remember Ilan and appreciate the connection between NASA and Israel in conducting the experiment and we would have first-hand souvenirs to remember Ilan." Cabana said he thanked Rona Ramon for her assistance in setting up the display at the Kennedy Space Center and being able to bring Madex home.

Rona Ramon: NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told me that he remembered my request to bring the remains of the Madex experiment to Israel for display
Rona Ramon also dealt with the return of the remains to Israel but also provided information about the birth of the conference. "Yesterday we held the annual memorial ceremony for Ilan. We went up the hill 13 years after the event at the exact same time at 16:00 p.m., nine in the morning Kennedy Space Center time, exactly when we lost Columbia and our precious crew. We each spoke from the heart from our personal experiences. And the fact that so many astronauts are with us every year - every year XNUMX percent of the number of people who have been in space arrive is important.
"Bob Cabana was directly responsible for the team and the families of the team members. The space week that has become a concept in Israel, something we worked hard with the people of the Ministry of Science and the Space Agency to turn it into an institution that inspires all children, a week in which we collect all the activities that are done here in Israel. My heart is filled with pride. It all started with my humble request from an astronaut who accompanied me in the first year to speak to students.
"I realized that I was left with a heavy weight on my shoulders with a role that I didn't think I would take on. We were proud of that dear person who represents us in space. With the disaster we were left with a vacuum. I didn't want us to be left only with the tragedy but also the person, the achievements and our breakthrough as a country."
"With a lot of help, we created a legacy that also extends to the international aspect when we hold this conference in its international aspect, when we named the Ramon Horn Hills in the Ramon Crater after the staff members. We established the visitor center at Mitzpe Ramon and linked heaven and earth. And we also brought up Ilan's story and for our concern Assaf's story as well.
This week educational programs are held all over the country. Space Week in Israel has become an honorable event that I am very happy that after 13 years the Ministry of Science is leading it with such beautiful pride and dedication. This is an opportunity to say thank you to all partners. To thank our little family, the Air Force family who never left us for a second who share with me the belief that it is possible and possible to influence and educate children in the light of Ilan and Assaf. And to the space family - NASA and the astronaut organization that I found myself belonging to
"When I saw the first remains that were scattered inside a huge hangar, we walked around among objects that have a heart, that have a story. Last April I met Charles Bolden and O'Brien. Bolden caught me on the side and told me - Rona, we remember your request and will fulfill the promise.' With the display of parts of the Columbia, we here will also have the privilege of receiving a part of that magnificent shuttle that disappeared like that in space. These remains are here and we know the saying - stones with a human heart. What we see here - objects with a lot of emotion, a lot of work, a lot of knowledge and curiosity. The entire team, both the researchers and members of the Madex experiment and the astronauts at Columbia loved the challenge of running the experiment, they treated it like dogfights - they were against the elves. The great pride that the experiment continues even today by the other space agencies on the International Space Station. We can only be proud of the achievements, where we are today and the future we are going to.
"On a personal note - it's not easy to be the widow of It is not easy in this context for you to be Assaf's mother. I have to say thank you to Tsarali Bolden who introduced me as Israel's space ambassador. I am also proud of Epen personally, I am happy for the cooperation with the Fisher Institute, with Assaf Agmon who brought the conference to where it brought it. To the current CEO Avraham Eshal and, of course, to the CEO of the Space Agency Menachem Kidron - such partnership and closeness and such faith do not happen every day.
"I was privileged to pass by good people, but there are some who walked hand in hand with me in complete faith to bring the rightful place of honor to the whole issue called space in Israel."