space shuttle email

This is Jason Walsh, former Chart staff writer and Southern alumni writing you from Norfolk, Virginia…This came to one of the reporters at my station before the crash…chillingto read now…

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My Operations Officer used to fly with a Navy pilot(in the EA6-B Prowlercommunity, Electronic Warfare aircraft) who is now an astronaut pilot onthe Space Shuttle Columbia. Forwarded is an email from him sent from theColumbia while in space last week. Love, Eric

—Original Message—

Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 11:11 AMTo: CCG4 OfficersSubject: FW: PROWLER GUY PILOTS SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA

Greetings from 150 miles above the Earth! My apologies up-front for not writingeach of you personally. The tempo is very high, and what few precious freemoments I do have, I try to use absorbing the overwhelming smorgasbord ofnew experiences. There is so much to share with you! Too much to write…sohang tight until post-flight when I can bring photos and videos to accompanythe story. This has been an unbelievable adventure!

I hope you enjoyed watching the launch, and thanks for hanging tough throughthe many delays. More later when we return…

Willie

PS – As I write, we just experienced a sunset over the Pacific, just eastof Chile. I’m sitting on the flight deck in the CDR seat (front right) witha view of the Earth moving gracefully by. Sunsets and sunrises from spacecome every 45 minutes, and last only about 30 seconds, but the colors arestunning. In a single view I see looking out at the edge of the Earth – redat the horizon line, blending to orange, then yellow; followed by a thinwhite line, then light blue, gradually turning to dark blue, then variousgradually darker shades of gray, then black with a million stars above.

It’s breath-taking!

########################Jason WalshWVEC-TV, 13NewsNorfolk/Virginia Beachcell: (757) 287-2425########################