Before she joined the astronaut program she was a  aerospace engineer at NASA Ames from 1988-1995.  Wchawla was the first Indian born woman to fly in space.  Chawlas favorite experiment was the Israeli Mediterranean Dust experiment.  She was born in Karnal, India.  Died on February 1, 2003 over the southern United States when Shuttle Columbia, and her crew perished during 16 minutes prior to the schedule landing.  Graduated from Tagore School in 1976.
 
William McCool
Commander U.S Navy
Shuttle Pilot
Sept. 23,1961-Feb. 1, 2003
Birthplace: San Diego, California
Age: 41

William's father was a chief petty officer in the U.S. Navy.  He graduated in Second in his US Naval Academy class.  He trained to be a Navy test piolot.  William made 400 successful aircraft carrier landings.  He was picked by NASA in 1996 and trained to be a  shuttle pilot.  It was his first assignment.  He is survived by his wife and three children.

Rick Husband
Colonel, U.S Air Fource
Shuttle Commander
July 12, 1957- Feb.1,2003
Birthplace: Amarillo, Texas
Age: 45

  Rick learned how to fly at 18, eventually he became an Air Force test pilot.  He was selected for the NASA Space program
in 1994.  His first space flight was in 1999, serving as pilot of the Shuttle Discovery.  During its ten-day mission
the Discovery made the first docking at the International Space Station, preparing it for the arrival of the first resident crew. 
Rick, then served as Chief of Safety for the Astronaut Office.  He is survived by his wife and 2 kids.

llan Ramon
Colonel, Israeli Air Force
payload Specialist
June 20, 1954- Feb. 1, 2003
Born: Tel Aviv, Israel
Age: 48

After High School in Tel Aviv, Israel, he then trained in the Israeli Air Force.  He fought in Yom Kippur War of 1973 and later
served in Lebanon Conflict in 1982.  One of his experiments involved collecting images of dust storms and monitoring their effect on climate.  Co. Ramon became the first citizen of Israel to enter Space.  The Son of Holocaust Survivor,
Ramon brought a drawing by a 14-year-old killed in Nazi concentration camp with him into space.  The boy's drawing
was called Moon Landscape.  He is survived by his wife and 4 children.

After medical school, David joined the Navy as a flight surgeon.  He was selected for pilot training in 1988, becoming the
first Navy physician chosen in 10 years to enter the program.  David was selected by NASA as an astronaut in 1996.
He served as a mission specialist aboard Columbia.  Before entering medical school, he had a brief but colorful
career in the circus, working as an acrobat and stilt-walker.