Israel Air Force Col. Ilan Ramon will become the first Israeli astronaut in space when lifts off on Thursday on the Columbia space shuttle. Ramon will carry with him a pencil sketch of the Earth as seen from the moon, drawn by a 14-year-old boy who died in the Holocaust.
Ramon's mother survived Auschwitz, the same Nazi concentration camp where the young artist, Peter Ginz of Prague, was murdered in 1944. "I know my flight is very symbolic for the people of Israel, especially the Holocaust survivors," said Ramon. "Because I was born in Israel, many people will see this as a dream come true."
Though not the first Jew to fly to outer space, Ramon has been receiving much media attention. Many U.S. news reports have been emphasizing the enhanced security surrounding the flight because Ramon, an IDF officer who fought in Israel's wars, is perceived by some to be a terrorist target. In response to a question by CNN on this issue, Ramon said, "NASA is doing everything needed…and I feel great, safe. I think everybody feels safe… We are here to conduct science for the benefit of humankind, for all mankind… It's one globe for us."
Ramon also told Reuters, "There's no better place to emphasize the unity of people in the world than flying in space. We are all the same people, we are all human beings, and I believe that most of us, almost all of us, are good people."
Despite Ramon's optimistic words, NASA is taking special anti-sabotage precautions. The space agency has been in close touch with the U.S. Air Force and the Homeland Security Department, while the Justice Department is considering expanding the no-fly zone around the launch pad. NASA's top security man will have a direct line into launch control. Security at the Cape Canaveral base is already very tight, with warships, fighter jets, missile launchers, and commandos strategically positioned for every shuttle launch. No specific threat has been identified against Ramon or the shuttle mission.
Though not religiously observant, Ramon asked to take the first kosher food into space. To that end, NASA found an Illinois company that vacuum packs kosher products for hikers and campers.
Ramon also plans to mark the Sabbath with special prayers, if time permits. He had originally asked a Halakhic [Jewish legal] question as to how to do so, since astronauts, speeding around the planet at five miles per second, see the sun set every 90 minutes. By that reckoning, there would be at least two Sabbaths in every 24-hour period. The answer he received was that he should rely on Mission Control's ground-based clock.
The first Jew in space was Judith Resnick, who made her first space flight in 1984. She died aboard the doomed Challenger flight in 1986.
Ramon's mother survived Auschwitz, the same Nazi concentration camp where the young artist, Peter Ginz of Prague, was murdered in 1944. "I know my flight is very symbolic for the people of Israel, especially the Holocaust survivors," said Ramon. "Because I was born in Israel, many people will see this as a dream come true."
Though not the first Jew to fly to outer space, Ramon has been receiving much media attention. Many U.S. news reports have been emphasizing the enhanced security surrounding the flight because Ramon, an IDF officer who fought in Israel's wars, is perceived by some to be a terrorist target. In response to a question by CNN on this issue, Ramon said, "NASA is doing everything needed…and I feel great, safe. I think everybody feels safe… We are here to conduct science for the benefit of humankind, for all mankind… It's one globe for us."
Ramon also told Reuters, "There's no better place to emphasize the unity of people in the world than flying in space. We are all the same people, we are all human beings, and I believe that most of us, almost all of us, are good people."
Despite Ramon's optimistic words, NASA is taking special anti-sabotage precautions. The space agency has been in close touch with the U.S. Air Force and the Homeland Security Department, while the Justice Department is considering expanding the no-fly zone around the launch pad. NASA's top security man will have a direct line into launch control. Security at the Cape Canaveral base is already very tight, with warships, fighter jets, missile launchers, and commandos strategically positioned for every shuttle launch. No specific threat has been identified against Ramon or the shuttle mission.
Though not religiously observant, Ramon asked to take the first kosher food into space. To that end, NASA found an Illinois company that vacuum packs kosher products for hikers and campers.
Ramon also plans to mark the Sabbath with special prayers, if time permits. He had originally asked a Halakhic [Jewish legal] question as to how to do so, since astronauts, speeding around the planet at five miles per second, see the sun set every 90 minutes. By that reckoning, there would be at least two Sabbaths in every 24-hour period. The answer he received was that he should rely on Mission Control's ground-based clock.
The first Jew in space was Judith Resnick, who made her first space flight in 1984. She died aboard the doomed Challenger flight in 1986.