Posted: Thu, Mar 27, 2003, 9:06 AM ET (1406 GMT)
The House Science Committee unanimously approved a bill Wednesday that would authorize the construction of a memorial to the crew of the space shuttle Columbia at Arlington National Cemetery. Bill HR 1297 would permit the construction of a memorial at the cemetery using $500,000 from the Defense Department's 2003 budget. The Secretary of the Army would be responsible for the construction of the memorial, in consultation with NASA; NASA would also be permitted to accept gifts to help build the memorial. Arlington National Cemetery is home to a memorial to the seven astronauts lost in the Challenger accident in 1986; three of the members of the Columbia crew have been buried at Arlington. The bill must also be approved by the House Veterans Affairs Committee before the full House votes on it. The Senate approved its version of the memorial bill on March 18.

Related Links:

•  House Science Committee press release
•  SPACE.com article
•  Orlando Sentinel article