Earth and Space News: Lunar Far Side McCool Crater Honors Columbia Pilot William McCool

Summary: Lunar far side McCool Crater honors Space Shuttle Columbia Pilot William McCool, who perished with his six colleagues on the spaceplane in 2003.

During his first and only spaceflight, William McCool, pilot of Space Shuttle Columbia's 28th mission, STS-107 (Thursday, Jan. 16, to Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003), sits on the space shuttle orbiter's aft flight deck on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2003; NASA ID S107E05026: Not subject to copyright, via NASA Image and Video Library

The lunar southern hemisphere's far side McCool Crater honors Space Shuttle Columbia Pilot William Cameron McCool (born William Cameron Graham; Sep. 23, 1961-Feb. 1, 2003), who perished during his first spaceflight, along with his six colleagues, as the shuttle orbiter re-entered Earth's atmosphere on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003.

McCool Crater resides in the southeastern interior of Apollo Crater in a group of seven craters honoring the Space Shuttle Columbia's last crew. Also known as Apollo Basin, the expansive impact crater forms a basin-within-a-basin with its location in the gigantic South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin. Apollo Crater is located in the SPA Basin's northeastern quadrant, according to Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center's mineralogy and petrology specialist, Canadian-American geologist Donald Allen Morrison (July 19, 1936-Jan. 16, 2021), and then Lunar and Planetary Institute postdoctoral researcher, American physicist and planetary geologist D. Benjamin J. Bussey, in their paper, "The Apollo and Korolev basins and the stratigraphy of the lunar crust," presented at the 28th Lunar and Planetary Sciences Conference (LPSC 1997), held in Houston, Texas, March 17-21, 1997.

Apollo Crater is centered at minus 35.69 degrees south latitude, minus 151.48 degrees west longitude, according to the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. The southern hemisphere crater's northernmost and southernmost latitudes extend from minus 28.12 degrees south to minus 44.19 degrees south, respectively. The worn geologic structure's easternmost and westernmost longitudes stretch from minus 140.58 degrees west and minus 162.07 degrees west, respectively. Apollo Crater's diameter spans 524.23 kilometers.

McCool Crater anchors the most easterly point of the lunar far side's seven Columbia craters. The crater is centered at minus 41.28 degrees south latitude, minus 146.26 degrees west longitude. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes occur at minus 40.94 degrees south and minus 41.62 degrees south latitude, respectively. It obtains its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 145.81 degrees west and minus 146.71 degrees west, respectively.

McCool Crater's diameter of 20.47 kilometers qualifies it as the second largest of the lunar far side's seven Columbia craters. Commander Rick Husband's crater, with a diameter of 31.26 kilometers, places as the largest Columbia crater.

Husband Crater perches to the northwest of McCool Crater. Its location places Husband Crater as the northernmost of the lunar far side's Columbia craters.

Husband Crater honors Richard "Rick" Douglas Husband (July 12, 1957-Feb. 1, 2003). Logging his second spaceflight, the American fighter pilot and NASA astronaut served as commander of Space Shuttle Columbia's last, tragic flight, Thursday, Jan. 16, to Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003.

Commander Rick Husband's lunar crater is centered at minus 40.32 degrees south latitude, minus 147.84 degrees west longitude. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes are created at minus 39.85 degrees south and minus 40.78 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes take place at minus 147.17 degrees west and minus 148.51 degrees west, respectively. Husband Crater's diameter measures 31.26 kilometers.

McCool Craters occurs as the most easterly in an aligned series with western neighbors Ramon Crater and M. Anderson Crater. M. Anderson Crater's occupancy of the westernmost point in the series also qualifies as the westernmost point in the group of seven Columbia craters.

Ramon Crater lies closely east of M. Anderson Crater and more distantly west of McCool Crater. Ramon Crater honors Ilan Ramon (born Ilan Wolferman; June 20, 1954-Feb 1, 2003). The Israeli Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot and first Israeli astronaut served as Space Shuttle Columbia's Payload Specialist for his first and only spaceflight.

Ramon Crater is centered at minus 41.23 degrees south latitude, minus 148.08 degrees west longitude. Ramon Crater expresses its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 40.97 degrees south and minus 41.49 degrees south, respectively. It indicates easternmost and westernmost longitudes of minus 147.71 degrees west and minus 148.45 degrees west, respectively. Ramon Crater has a diameter of 17.23 kilometers.

M. Anderson Crater honors Michael Phillip Anderson (Dec. 25, 1959-Feb. 1, 2003). The United States Air Force officer and NASA astronaut served as Payload Commander and Mission Specialist 3 for his second spaceflight.

M. Anderson Crater is centered at minus 41.21 degrees south latitude, minus 148.99 degrees west longitude. It reveals northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 40.93 degrees south and minus 41.49 degrees south, respectively. It finds its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 148.62 degrees west and minus 149.36 degrees west, respectively. M. Anderson Crater has a diameter of 16.94 kilometers.

Craters named for Space Shuttle Columbia's seven fallen astronaut occur in the southeastern interior of Apollo Crater, also known as Apollo Basin, an enormous impact crater in the southern hemisphere on the lunar far side; Moon 1:10 million-scale Shaded Relief and Color-coded Topography: via Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

D. Brown Crater approaches McCool Crater closely from the southwest as McCool Crater's nearest Columbia neighbor. D. Brown Crater dips to the southeast of Ramon Crater.

D. Brown Crater honors David McDowell Brown (April 16, 1956-Feb. 1, 2003). The United States Navy captain and NASA astronaut served as Mission Specialist 1 on Space Shuttle Columbia's 28th and final mission, which also qualified as Brown's first and last spaceflight.

D. Brown Crater is centered at minus 41.65 degrees south latitude, minus 147.16 degrees west longitude. It records northernmost and southernmost latitudes of minus 41.38 degrees south and minus 41.91 degrees south, respectively. It registers easternmost and westernmost longitudes of minus 146.80 degrees west and minus 147.52 degrees west, respectively. D. Brown Crater has a diameter of 16.12 kilometers.

Chawla and L. Clark craters lie south of D. Brown Crater and distantly southwest of McCool Crater. Chawla and L. Clark craters form a fairly straight north-south alignment with D. Brown Crater. Chawla Crater distinguishes the trio's approximate midpoint. L. Clark Crater's location south of Chawla Crater marks the trio's southern end and also qualifies as the southernmost among the lunar far side's Columbia craters.

Chawla Crater honors first Indian female astronaut and first Indian-American astronaut Kalpana "K.C." Chawla (March 17, 1962-Feb. 1, 2003). For her second spaceflight, the aerospace engineer, aerobatic pilot and NASA astronaut served as Mission Specialist 2 on Space Shuttle Columbia's last, fatal mission.

Chawla Crater is centered at minus 42.48 degrees south latitude, minus 147.49 degrees west longitude. It confirms its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 42.24 degrees south and minus 42.71 degrees south, respectively. It affirms its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 147.17 degrees west and minus 147.80 degrees west, respectively.

Chawla Crater's diameter measures 14.25 kilometers. Its unassuming size qualifies Chawla Crater as the smallest of the lunar far side's Columbia Craters.

L. Clark Crater honors Laurel Blair Salton Clark (March 10, 1961-Feb. 1, 2003). For her first and only spaceflight, the American Naval Flight Surgeon and NASA astronaut served as Mission Specialist 4 on Space Shuttle Columbia's fatal 58th mission.

L. Clark Crater is centered at minus 43.34 degrees south latitude, minus 147.70 degrees west longitude. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes are arrived at minus 43.08 degrees south and minus 43.59 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes are ascertained at minus 147.35 degrees west and minus 148.04 degrees west, respectively. L. Clark Crater has a diameter of 15.30 kilometers.

The International Astronomical Union officially approved McCool Crater’s name in 2006, during the organization’s XXVIth (26th) General Assembly, held Monday, Aug. 14, to Friday, Aug. 25, in Prague, Czech Republic. The official name adoption occurred as a batch posthumous approval of all seven Columbia lunar craters.

In a press release issued Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, the United States Navy reported a posthumous promotion for the American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer and NASA astronaut. Cuban-American entrepreneur and retired United States Navy commander Carlos Del Toro (born 1961), serving as the 78th Secretary of the Navy since Aug. 9, 2021, announced the promotion of William "Willie" McCool from naval commander to captain during halftime at the Navy-North Texas football gameSecretary Del Toro announced the promotion during halftime at the Navy-North Texas football game at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, central Maryland.

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 121 shows the seven southern hemisphere craters honoring Pilot William McCool and his six Space Shuttle Columbia colleagues in the lunar far side's Apollo Basin: image credit NASA/GSFC/ASU, via USGS Astrogeology Science Center / Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Dedication

This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved blue-eyed brother, Charles, who guided the creation of the Met Opera and Astronomy posts on Earth and Space News. We memorialized our brother in "Our Beloved Blue-Eyed Brother, Charles, With Whom We Are Well Pleased," published on Earth and Space News on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, an anniversary of our beloved father's death.

Image credits:

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Available @ https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Feature/14141

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Earth and Space News

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Lunar Far Side McCool Crater Honors Columbia Pilot William McCool

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