51829 Williemccool (2001 OD41) is an asteroid named for astronautWillie McCool, who was killed in the STS-107 (Columbia) space shuttlereentry disaster on February 1, 2003. 253 Mathilde, a C-type asteroid. ... For other uses, see Astronaut (disambiguation). ... William C. McCool William Cameron Willie McCool (September 23, 1961 â February 1, 2003) was an United States Navy Commander, NASA astronaut and the Space Shuttle pilot of Columbia mission STS-107 who was killed when the craft disintegrated after re-entry into the Earths atmosphere. ... The STS-107 crewmembers strike a âflyingâ pose for their traditional in-flight crew portrait in the SPACEHAB aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. ... NASAs Space Shuttle, officially called Space Transportation System (STS), is the United States governments current manned launch vehicle. ... The Space Shuttle Columbia breaks up over Texas. ... February 1 is the 32nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
51829 Williemccool was discovered on July 21, 2001 at Palomar Observatory by the JPLNear Earth Asteroid Tracking Program. July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Palomar Observatory is a privately-owned observatory located in San Diego County, California, 90 miles (145 km) southeast of Mount Wilson Observatory, on Palomar Mountain. ... The JPL complex in Pasadena, Ca. ... Near Earth Asteroid Tracking (NEAT) is a program run by NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory to discover near-Earth objects. ...
McCool was selected by NASA and reported to the Johnson Space Center to became an astronaut in 1996.
After his death, Asteroid 51829Williemccool was named for him.
From our orbital vantage point, we observe an earth without borders, full of peace, beauty and magnificence, and we pray that humanity as a whole can imagine a borderless world as we see it and strive to live as one in peace.