WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The following is the text of U.S. President
Bush's televised address to the nation on the loss of the space Shuttle
Columbia Saturday:

"My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news and great
sadness to our country. At 9 o'clock this morning Mission Control in
Houston lost contact with their space shuttle Columbia. A short time
later, debris was seen falling from the skies above Texas.

The Columbia is lost. There are no survivors.

On board was a crew of seven: Colonel Rick Husband, Lieutenant
Colonel Michael Anderson, Commander Laurel Clark, Captain David
Brown, Commander William McCool, Dr. Kalpana Chawla and Ilan
Ramon, a colonel in the Israeli Air Force.

These men and women assumed great risk in the service to all
humanity. In an age when space flight has come to seem almost routine
it is easy to overlook the dangers of travel by rocket and the difficulties
of navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the earth.

These astronauts knew the dangers and they faced them willingly,
knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life. Because of their
courage and daring and idealism, we will miss them all the more.

All Americans today are thinking, as well, of the families of these men
and women who have been given this sudden shock and grief. You are
not alone. Our entire nation grieves with you, and those you love will
always have the respect and gratitude of this country.

The cause in which they died will continue. Mankind is led into the
darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the
longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.

In the skies today, we saw destruction and tragedy. Yet farther than we
can see, there's comfort and hope.

In the words of the prophet Isaiah, 'Lift your eyes and look to the
heavens. Who created all these? He who brings out the starry hosts
one by one and calls them each by name. Because of his great power
and mighty strength not one of them is missing.'

The same creator who names the stars also knows the names of the
seven souls we mourn today. The crew of the shuttle Columbia did not
return safely to Earth, yet we can pray that all are safely home.

May God bless the grieving families, and may God continue to bless
America."

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