The U.S. House of Representatives has sent a collective "thank you" to the 20,000 volunteers involved in looking for shuttle wreckage following the Feb. 1 destruction of Columbia.
U.S. lawmakers have passed House Resolution 222 as a tribute to the volunteers, by a vote of 411-0.
U.S. Rep. Ralph M. Hall (D-Texas), the Science Committee's ranking member, introduced the resolution to honor those involved in the massive campaign to recover debris.
"The nation owes a debt of gratitude to the thousands of individuals and organizations who worked so tirelessly to recover the space shuttle debris," said Hall in a May 14 statement. The resolution was a way to express thanks on behalf of all America, he added.
During the past 100 days, some 83,000 pounds of Columbia wreckage has been recovered, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said during Senate testimony earlier this week.
On foot and by air
The effort to recover scattered shuttle debris has been unprecedented.
An assortment of agencies have been involved: Volunteers from NASA, the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Environmental Protection Agency, FBI, Defense Department, Department of Transportation, U.S. Forest Service, Park Service, Texas and Louisiana National Guard.
Also on the scene were fire crews from 42 states, state and local authorities as well as many farmers, landowners and citizens -- all of whom helped locate, document and collect the debris.Search teams have crossed some 700,000 acres on foot and 1.6 million acres by air. Those participating endured snow and ice storms as well as brambles and swamps in their search.
Tragically, a pilot and Forest Service Ranger lost their lives in a helicopter crash while searching for debris in the Angelina National Forest in East Texas on March 27th.
"Few things embody the triumph and tragedy that make up the fabric of our country more than the space program," said U.S. Rep. Nick Smith (R-Mich.).
"The space program's very purpose -- to discover what lies beyond our world -- is at the heart of the American spirit. The thousands of Americans who aided in the Columbia debris search have become a vital part of our nation's space program," Smith said.
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