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Here's a sample of the e-mails the astronauts sent to VIPs, friends, and members of their payload team.
Here's an except from an e-mail Ilan Ramon sent to the MEIDEX team:
As far as Sprites — it sounds and looks like a great success, and from here it is quite exciting. All crew members are excited to have a sprite pass, and to track the lightning storms with the gimbal [camera] and with our eyes — it’s a great view and a nice challenge, almost like an air-combat.
Astronaut Ilan Ramon, e-mail from the Columbia,
Mission Day 8
PS1
NOTE: This is private/personal mail and not for release to media.
Dear Mr. President,
It's an honor and a great privilege for me to write you this letter from Space. As you probably know, I blasted off to space about ten days ago on board of Space Shuttle Columbia, and by that got lucky to be the first Israeli in Space.
During the last four and a half years I have been in training for this mission, and after a few delays we finally made it.
As a lot of my fellow astronauts at NASA told me - it was worth the wait - the experience of being in space is something that no words can really describe and although we work 18 hours a day, we have a lot of fun and extraordinary and exciting time.
This morning - Saturday January 26 - we had flown over Israel, and although it wasn't the first pass, it was the best.
From space I could easily spot Jerusalem and while looking at Jerusalem our capital I prayed just one short prayer - "Shema Israel Adonai Elohenou Adonai Echad." (Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One).
I believe, as I said a few times earlier, that we have in Israel the best people with a phenomenal abilities, and it takes only the right leadership to lead the people of Israel to reach the sky!
Mr. President, if you would find it appropriate, please convey my deep appreciation to all Israel's citizens, and let them know that I am honored to be their first representative ever in Space. In our mission we have a variety of international scientific experiments and scientists, including scientists from Arab states. We are all working this mission for the benefit of all mankind, and from space our world looks as one unity with no borders. So let me call from up here in space - let's work our way for peace and better life for every one on Earth.
With that I thank you, Mr. President, and send you my best blessing for a long and healthy life - to you and all your family.
Ilan Ramon, Space Shuttle Columbia, day 12 in space.
PS1
NOTE: This is private/personal mail and not for release to media.
Subject: Flight Day 16
Friends,
It's hard to believe but I'm coming up on 16 days in space and we land tomorrow.
I can tell you a few things:
Floating is great - at two weeks it really started to become natural. I move much more slowly as there really isn't a hurry. If you go to fast then stopping can be quite awkward. At first, we were still handing each other things, but now we pass them with just a little push.
We lose stuff all the time. I'm kind of prone to this on Earth, but it's much worse here as I can now put things on the walls and ceiling too. It's hard to remember that you have to look everywhere when you lose something, not just down.
The views of the Earth are really beautiful. If you've ever seen a space Imax movie that's really what it looks like. What really amazes me is to see large geographic features with my own eyes. Today, I saw all of Northern Libya, the Sinai Peninsula, the whole country of Israel, and then the Red Sea. I wish I'd had more time just to sit and look out the window with a map but our science program kept us very busy in the lab most of the time.
The science has been great and we've accomplished a lot. I could write more but about it but that would take hours.
My crewmates are like my family - it will be hard to leave them after being so close for 2 1/2 years.
My most moving moment was reading a letter Ilan brought from a Holocaust survivor talking about his seven year old daughter who did not survive. I was stunned such a beautiful planet could harbor such bad things. It makes me want to enjoy every bit of the Earth for how great it really is.
I will make one more observation - if I'd been born in space I know I would desire to visit the beautiful Earth more than I've ever yearned to visit to space. It is a wonderful planet.
Dave
MS1
NOTE: This is private/personal mail and not for release to media.
From: MS4
Subject: Hello from 150 NM above the Earth
Hello from above our magnificent planet Earth. The perspective is truly awe-inspiring. This is a terrific mission and we are very busy doing science round the clock. Just getting a moment to type e-mail is precious so this will be short, and distributed to many who I know and love.
I have seen some incredible sights: lightning spreading over the Pacific, the Aurora Australis lighting up the entire visible horizon with the cityglow of Australia below, the crescent moon setting over the limb of the Earth, the vast plains of Africa and the dunes on Cape Horn, rivers breaking through tall mountain passes, the scars of humanity, the continuous line of life extending from North America, through Central America and into South America, a crescent moon setting over the limb of our blue planet. Mount Fuji looks like a small bump from up here, but it does stand out as a very distinct landmark.
Magically, the very first day we flew over Lake Michigan and I saw Wind Point (Racine, WI) clearly. Haven't been so lucky since. Every orbit we go over a slightly different part of the Earth. Of course, much of the time I'm working back in Spacehab and don't see any of it. Whenever I do get to look out , it is glorious. Even the stars have a special brightness. I have seen my "friend" Orion several times.
Taking photos of the earth is a real challenge, but a steep learning curve. I think I have finally gotten some beautiful shots the last 2 days. Keeping my fingers crossed that they're in sharp focus. My near vision has gotten a little worse up here so you may have seen pics/video of me wearing glasses. I feel blessed to be here representing our country and carrying out the research of scientists around the world. All of the experiments have accomplished most of their goals despite the inevitable hiccups that occur when such a complicated undertaking is undertaken. Some experiments have even done extra science. A few are finished and one is just getting started today.
The food is great and I am feeling very comfortable in this new, totally different environment. It still takes a while to eat as gravity doesn't help pull food down your esophagus. It is also a constant challenge to stay adequately hydrated. Since our body fluids are shifted toward our heads our sense of thirst is almost non-existent.
Thanks to many of you who have supported me and my adventures throughout the years. This was definitely one to beat all. I hope you could feel the positive energy that I beamed to the whole planet as we glided over our shared planet.
Love to all,
Laurel
MS4
NOTE: This is private/personal mail and not for release to media.
From: MS4
Sent: Monday, January 27, 2003 1:37 AM
Subject: Hey from 150 NM above the Earth
Hello all,
I planned all along to write several notes to share a little of our mission perspective from space. Unfortunately, I've been too busy for much e-mail at all. Things are going terrific up here, mostly because of all the hard work and dedication of all of you on the ground. Some of the MCC team are quite talented poets. We have had wonderful laughs and smiles over the verses in the Execute Pkg. We'll have to make a book of STS-107 poems after the flights. The experiments all seem to be doing well, esp now that the module is cooler. It is really fun to see the plants and tissues and other visual evidence of all of your efforts. I can't wait to see how all the results turn out. The first few days are pretty much a blur. I am very thankful for all the tremendous training and preparation we had over the last 2.5 years. The views of our planet are beyond words and not nearly frequent enough for me. I wish each and every one of you could float up here with us for a few minutes. I continue to be overwhelmed at the smooth integration of this whole operation. A million thanks to all of you down there who are making it work!!!
All my best, Laurel
MS4
NOTE: This is private/personal mail and not for release to media.