Col. Ilan Ramon Yateman will be laid to rest tomorrow in the Nahalel cemetery, in a plot next to the one where Moshe Dayan is buried. This was reported by Kol Israel, who are now conducting the farewell ceremony for him, which is being held at the air force base near Ben Gurion Airport
Among the guests, the former president of the country Ezer Weizman and his wife, all champions of the IDF.
The President of the State, Moshe Katsav:
Two missions, two events in the life of the late Col. Ilan Ramon were of worldwide significance and captivated the attention of the entire world.
In 1981, Ilan took off for a bold operation in great secrecy to avoid danger and disaster. The world did not understand this, and many expressed criticism. If Ilan and his friends had not taken off then, a disaster would have occurred.
About a month ago, Ilan took off on another daring mission, in the space shuttle Columbia, this time as a messenger of humanity.
We were all captivated by his charm and felt great sympathy for him. We sent one of the most perfect, beautiful and good of our sons on a mission.
After 4 and a half years of preparations and training and another 16 days of flight in space, it became clear that during the return to Earth, in the last minutes of the flight, there was a disruption. A whole nation wept when it was learned that the worst had happened.
I planned how to welcome him and tell him how proud we are of him as a person, as a Jew, as an Israeli and as a commander in the IDF. He brought messages of universal, national and state value. The same goes for the email I received.
These were words of vision and faith. It is an honor and a pleasure for me to write you this letter from space. As you know, I took off about ten days ago in the space shuttle Columbia and in that I had the opportunity to become the first Israeli astronaut...
"...the experience in space cannot be described. Although we work for 16 hours a day, we have fun."
There are among us members of the Jewish people so many disputes and polemics, opinions and views. There was one man who was able in his last days, knew how to unite the entire Jewish people even before his death. The people of Israel united around the personality of the late Ilan Ramon while he was still alive. All of us, thanks to one man, we were filled with pride."
In your death (address all staff members) you paved the way for humanity. Ilan Ramon is a national symbol. He is an exemplary figure of all mankind.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Rona, Assaf, Tal, Yiftah and Noa. Father Eliezer Wolferman, brother Gadi. Honorable President of the State
Allow me to honor the memory of Ilan Ramon with pain in his last journey on the land of the motherland. Beyond all the ceremonies, your mourning is family and private. This is not how we envisioned your return home. Your pain is the pain of the entire nation.
Ilan touched the hidden point in the heart of every Jew and at times touched strings in the soul of all of us. His boyish face, the constant smile, the fresh look, the kind light in his eyes penetrated deeply into every soul.
His image was revealed from above as a reflection of Israel at its best. Israel as we want to see it. Israel as we love it. The Torah book brought by a Jewish boy from a concentration camp, the Kiddush cup and the flags brought by Ilan caused excitement.
Far up there, at the edge of human achievement, we could not have had a representative as good as her. Ilan, the son of a holocaust survivor and a father of heroes of the War of Independence, an outstanding pilot. In his last mission he rose above every Israeli before him and fulfilled his life's dream.
In his flight in the American space shuttle with his six traveling companions, he lifts the spirits of all of us. The shared fate of the crew members painfully forged the partnership between the two nations.
Our hearts go out to the families of the other astronauts and to the American nation.
A day will come and more astronauts will take off. For them and for us, Ilan Ramon will remain as the first space pioneer.
Minister of Defense, Shaul Mofaz
"In a trail of fire and smoke, fragments of body and metal, body tears and a dream landed at the end of the wonderful journey into space. Ilan Hebiya is among us all a pioneer and first for all those who will come after him. Only his heart did not back down, he remained the kind and smiling Ilan that everyone knew. Real, natural, humble and kind hearted. The days of Ilan's journey were for us to celebrate, something inside of us took off with him to Al. We will always cherish these days of grace that Ilan gave us."
Mofaz turned to Ilan's father, Eliezer Wolferman, and said to him: "May you find solace in your lovely grandchildren that Ilan left you and knowing that he fulfilled his life's ambition and his memory is etched in the hearts of his people." Then he turned to Ramon's wife and children: "You will look up to the sky and they will forever be different, but on the horizon a distant star will twinkle for you - Father's star"
Ilan the Hebbia from all of us, only his heart did not back, he remains the good and smiling Ilan that everyone knew, genuine, natural, modest and captivating.
While he was up there, we here remained attached to the harsh earthly reality. Something of us soared with him to Al, looked down with him on his good land and ours.
We will always cherish the days of grace that Ilan gave us and his image will be exemplary. A model of personal fulfillment, a noble fulfillment of Israel guaranteed for all its goodness and beauty, she was in Ilan so close and real, reach out and touch her.
Dear Eliezer Wolferman, Ilan's father. You who survived the inferno of the holocaust and remain whole in your soul, including your beloved son. The nobility of soul radiating from you was the source of his influence. May you find solace in your grandchildren that Ilan left you and in the knowledge that he fulfilled his dream of space and his memory is engraved in the hearts of his people.
And dear Rona, and you Asaf, Tal, Yaftah and Noa, who lost a husband and a father, you will bear the greatest pain more than anyone. Ilan's star will shine for you.
A day will come when more Israelis will launch into outer space. Ilan Yahar will be the first and trailblazer.
The trail of fire and smoke remains etched and always burns like a violin. When Ilan arrives at his last stop, we will also put on our hearts the memory of his fellow passengers on flight 107. We send our heartfelt condolences to their grieving families and to the great nation of the USA. We will strengthen her hands in admiration and gratitude for her efforts to advance science for the sake of all humanity and her war against tyranny and evil.
Richard LeBarne, US Deputy Ambassador
On behalf of the USA, it is an honor for me to accompany Ilan Ramon on his last journey. President Bush, his deputy Cheney and NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe expressed their condolences to Rona Ramon for the sudden, unexpected disaster.
Ilan Ramon and his friends represent the best in humanity. The USA will be even closer and more determined to discover new frontiers in science and technology. We are members of the same human family.
The widow Rona Ramon and Ilan Ramon's son, Asaf - in the family name
Rona Ramon. in a voice choked with tears.
As the representatives of the family, we decided to read a letter that came to us on the 16th day of the mission from Dave Brown who flew with Ilan in Colombia. We feel not only as representatives of Ilan's family but representatives of the entire Columbia family, STS107.
"My flight buddies have become family. It will be hard to leave them after being so close for two and a half years. The most moving and touching moment was when Ilan read a letter from a holocaust survivor who tells about his seven-year-old house that did not survive.
It was shocking to me that such a beautiful planet could cause such horrors. If I were born in space I would aspire to visit this wonderful Earth much more than I ever wanted to visit space."
"This is a beautiful planet."
The Commander of the Air Force, Major General Dan Halutz read a piece of poetry.
Farewell ceremony for Ilan Ramon - today in Netav. Tomorrow - a military funeral
10/2/2003
The coffin of the Israeli astronaut, Col. Ilan Ramon, will be brought to Israel this afternoon on a flight from the USA. Ramon's funeral will take place tomorrow at the Nahalel cemetery. Ramon's coffin, accompanied by his family members and IDF representatives, will be brought on an El Al plane from the USA, which is expected to land at Ben Gurion Airport. Afterwards, at 17:30 p.m., a state ceremony will be held at the nearby air force base, with the participation of family members, friends, President Moshe Katsav, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, Chief of Staff Lt. Col. Moshe Ya'alon, Forum members General Staff, NASA representatives and senior figures.
Ramon's funeral will be held at the Nehalel cemetery. The family members chose the moshav as Ramon's burial place due to the great love he had for the area, near the air force base in Ramat David, where Ramon served in various positions, including squadron commander. The Ramon family requested yesterday that the funeral be held with the participation of friends and invitees only and without media coverage.
NASA engineers yesterday checked the possibility that some object hit or fell from the space shuttle Columbia a day after launch, on January 17. Radar images from the US military agency tracking satellites in space showed an object moving and slowly moving away from the shuttle. It could be "space debris," a small meteorite, a piece that broke off from the shuttle or ice that forms routinely when the space shuttles eject water, NASA spokesmen said. The space agency is examining the radar images to check whether the shuttle shook at the same time the movement of the object was observed near it, which may indicate a possible collision.
The mayor of Jerusalem, Ehud Olmert, is working to bring the families of the other six astronauts who perished to visit Jerusalem. About two weeks ago there was a video call between Ilan Ramon and his colleagues on the ferry, and Prime Minister and Minister of Education Limor Livnet. In the conversation, Ramon said that his flight mates intend to come to Israel and visit Jerusalem, after they return to Earth. Olmert, who heard the words, decided to organize a visit to the relatives of the deceased. Yesterday he sent a letter to Rona Ramon and asked her to help him organize the visit.
"Yediot Ahronoth" reported this morning that a committee appointed by the IDF decided that Ramon would not be promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. The committee justified its decision by the fact that other senior officers, such as the late Col. Dror Weinberg who was killed in Hebron, were not promoted after their death.
The ceremony will be held in Halal
Col. Ramon's family members, the heads of state, the top command of the IDF, representatives of the American government, representatives of the space agency "NASA" from the USA and thousands of his friends and admirers will participate in the funeral ceremony. The ceremony will receive extensive media coverage, including a live broadcast on television networks from Israel and the world.
The Valley Police and the Jezreel Valley Regional Council are already preparing for the funeral ceremony. Yesterday evening, the first request came to the Moshav committee requesting to consider the possibility of burying Col. Ramon in the military section of the Nahalel cemetery. The request was made by the former members of the moshav, Ayelet and Roni Shlain, a couple of close friends of Ilan and Rona Ramon who have been staying in the USA since the disaster by Rona Ramon's side.
Following the request, the Moshav Committee convened for a special meeting and approved the request. Nahalel's cemetery is located outside the settlement on a small hill, surrounded by pine trees overlooking the Jezreel Valley.
Among others, the late former Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan and the late Major General Moshe (Musa) Peled are buried in the cemetery. The commander of the Migdal Ha'emek police, Corporal Jacob Biton, whose cemetery and moshav are within his command, said that no official notification has yet been received that Col. Ilan Ramon will be buried in Hillel, "We are acting on a level of alert for such a possibility. If so decided, we will prepare accordingly. It will be a difficult logistical operation because the place is too small to accommodate all those who will want to accompany Col. Ramon on his last journey and extraordinary security arrangements are expected to ensure the safety of the many AHMAs who will come to the ceremony," said Corporal Beaton.
The head of the Jezreel Valley Regional Council, Eitan Brushi, said: "We received a preliminary and not a final notification. I ordered the formation of a team to accompany the preparations for the funeral ceremony. We treat this funeral with reverence and will do everything we can to ensure that it takes place with all the respect due to Ilan Ramon. Nahalel's cemetery contains heroic stories of the first settlers and pioneers in the valley alongside fighters who fell in Israel's battles. This is definitely a cemetery worthy of a national hero like Ilan Ramon," said Broushi.
The main ceremony in Ramon's memory tomorrow in Israel * The Committee on Symbols and Ceremonies is meeting
The coffin of the late Ilan Ramon will arrive in Israel tomorrow at noon, together with the family members from Houston
9.2.2003
By: Avi Blizovsky
Col. Ramon's coffin will arrive tomorrow afternoon from the USA to Israel, when a state farewell ceremony will be held for the Israeli astronaut at the air force base near Israel. The ceremony will be held with the participation of the heads of state, the IDF, the Air Force, and the Israeli Space Agency.
The family members of the late astronaut Ilan Ramon, Rona, the four children, Assaf, Tal, Yiftah and Noa, and the father, Eliezer Wolferman, will board a plane on their way to Israel today, along with his coffin wrapped in the Israeli flag. They will land tomorrow at noon in Israel, where an official memorial ceremony will be held, in the presence of the Prime Minister, the President of the State, public figures and representatives of the space agency NASA.
On Tuesday, the coffin will be flown to the air force base in Ramat David in the Jezreel Valley, and from there the funeral journey will depart to the cemetery in Moshav Nahalel. The funeral will be held with a full military ceremony, but Ramon will not be buried in the military plot, after Rona his wife asked to reserve a grave plot for her next to him.
His family requested that his funeral be held in an intimate forum of family members and close friends. The heads of state will not attend the funeral. The IDF was represented at the ceremony by the Chief of Staff, Major General Moshe (Bogie) Ya'alon and the top command of the Air Force.
The Emek Jezreel Regional Council received many requests from people who want to participate in the funeral, but the head of the regional council Eitan Brushi said that "unfortunately we cannot respond to requests".
The Ministerial Committee on Ceremonies and Symbols is meeting today under the chairmanship of Minister Dani Neve to plan the memorial ceremony that will be held tomorrow in Netav.
Ilan Ramon's coffin will be flown to Israel today, Sunday
A large fragment of the wing of the shuttle "Columbia" was discovered last night. may significantly assist in the investigation of the crash
9.2.2003
The photograph of Columbia, one minute before the crash, as shown at the NASA press conference
Direct link to this page: https://www.hayadan.org.il/colombia047.html
Near Fort Worth, Texas, a large fragment of the wing of the space shuttle "Columbia" was discovered this weekend, which can significantly help in the investigation of the causes of the crash of the shuttle, last Saturday and the death of the seven astronauts who were on board.
The fragment is one of the largest pieces discovered so far and its width reaches about 70 centimeters. It is coated with many insulation tiles, which according to the main theory being tested at NASA, were the part that failed and led to the crash. NASA's shuttle program manager, Ron Ditmore, said Friday in Houston that the piece of wing will be thoroughly examined to find out which side of the shuttle it fell from and whether it showed signs of early damage that could have led to the collapse of the thermal insulation system.
At the end of the week, NASA tried to downplay the importance of a military telescope photograph, which was taken a few minutes before the crash, which allegedly shows significant damage to the shuttle's wing. The photograph, whose existence was first published in the magazine "Aviation Week", shows a sort of silhouette of the shuttle while flying over New Mexico in the western United States. According to the magazine, you can see in the photo the damage to the left wing as well as a trail of gray smoke coming out of that side of the shuttle.
Meanwhile, the "Washington Post" revealed two engineering reports prepared by "Boeing" company experts during the days of the flight and submitted to those responsible for the shuttle mission.
In the reports, which tried to analyze the event of the impact of the piece of insulation foam in the 80th second of launch on the left wing, doubt is expressed regarding the truth of the two basic assumptions that guided the NASA researchers during the investigation of the event.
The reports state that the first assumption, according to which it is a piece of insulating foam that hit the wing and not a piece of ice, cannot be confirmed. If it is indeed ice and not an insulating material, then the force of the impact on the wing could have been much stronger and could, without difficulty, have caused actual structural damage to the shuttle. A second assumption, according to which the part that could be hit in the center of the wing and not at the leading edge, is also uncertain. While a hit in the center of the wing does not significantly affect the aerodynamic structure of the shuttle, a hit at the tip, a few inches away, can be very significant.
Aeronautics experts who read the engineering reports of the "Boeing" company expressed to the "Washington Post" their shock at the judgment of NASA personnel who relied on untested basic assumptions. One of them even said that it seems that "the experts wanted to believe that there was no problem, so they moved on." NASA has not yet responded to the publication of the new reports.
The family of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon is scheduled to arrive in Israel ahead of Ramon's funeral, which will take place on Tuesday in Nahalel.
