Lunar L. Clark Crater Honors Columbia Mission Specialist Laurel Clark

Summary: Lunar L. Clark Crater honors Space Shuttle Columbia Mission Specialist Laurel Clark, who perished with her six colleagues on the spaceplane in 2003.

On Friday, Jan. 17, 2003, during Space Shuttle Columbia's 28th mission, STS-107 (Thursday, Jan. 16, to Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003), Mission Specialist 4 Laurel Clark, on her first spaceflight, and Commander Rick Husband, on his second spaceflight, are situated near supportive equipment for experiments on the SPACEHAB Research Double Module (RDM); NASA ID S107E05020: Not subject to copyright, via NASA Image and Video Library

The lunar southern hemisphere's far side L. Clark Crater honors Space Shuttle Columbia Mission Specialist 4 Laurel Blair Salton Clark (March 10, 1961-Feb. 1, 2003), who perished during her first spaceflight, along with six colleagues, as the orbiter re-entered Earth's atmosphere Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003.

Laurel Clark's crater groups with six other Columbia-themed craters in the southeastern interior of Apollo Crater. Also known as Apollo Basin, the prominent impact crater exists as a basin-within-a-basin in the sprawling South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin. Apollo Crater lies 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 to minus 162.07 degrees west, respectively. Apollo Crater's diameter spans 524.23 kilometers.

American Naval Flight Surgeon and NASA astronaut Laurel Clark's lunar crater is centered at minus 43.34 degrees south latitude, minus 147.70 degrees west longitude. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes settle at minus 43.08 degrees south and minus 43.59 degrees south, respectively. It encounters its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 147.35 degrees west and minus 148.04 degrees west, respectively. L. Clark Crater has a diameter of 15.30 kilometers.

L. Clark Crater occupies the southernmost position among the lunar far side's Columbia craters. Located to the north, Chawla Crater occurs as L. Clark Crater's nearest Columbia neighbor.

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 lists its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 42.24 degrees south and minus 42.71 degrees south, respectively. It details easternmost and westernmost longitudes of minus 147.17 degrees west and minus 147.80 degrees west, respectively.

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

Chawla Crater interposes between L. Clark Crater and D. Brown Crater. The trio exhibits a fairly straight north-south alignment.

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. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes correspond to minus 41.38 degrees south and minus 41.91 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes match with minus 146.80 degrees west and minus 147.52 degrees west, respectively. D. Brown Crater has a diameter of 16.12 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

McCool Crater is located distantly northeast of L. Clark Crater and northeast of D. Brown Crater. Its northeasterly position qualifies as the easternmonst among the lunar far side's Columbia craters.

McCool Crater honors American naval officer and aviator, test pilot, aeronautical engineer and NASA astronaut William Cameron McCool (born William Cameron Graham; Sep. 23, 1961-Feb. 1, 2003). McCool's position as the STS-107 mission's Pilot marked his first and only spaceflight.

McCool Crater is centered at minus 41.28 degrees south latitude, minus 146.26 degrees west longitude. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes are detected at minus 40.94 degrees south and minus 41.62 degrees south latitude, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes are asserted at minus 145.81 degrees west and minus 146.71 degrees west, respectively. McCool Crater has a diameter of 20.47 kilometers.

Ramon Crater is positioned to the distant northwest of L. Clark Crater and to the near northwest of D. Brown Crater. Ramon Crater forms a fairly straight west-east alignment with McCool Crater to the east and M. Anderson Crater to the west.

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. Its northernmost and southernmost latitudes are noted at minus 40.97 degrees south and minus 41.49 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes are obtained at minus 147.71 degrees west and minus 148.45 degrees west, respectively. Ramon Crater has a diameter of 17.23 kilometers.

M. Anderson Crater's position to the west of Ramon Crater qualifies as the westernmost among the lunar far side's Columbia craters. M. Anderson Crater lies to the distant northwest of L. Clark Crater.

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 secures its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 40.93 degrees south and minus 41.49 degrees south, respectively. It presents 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.

Husband Crater lies to the far north of L. Clark Crater and to the near north-northeast of Ramon Crater. Husband Crater's position qualifies as the northernmost among the lunar far side's Columbia craters.

Husband Crater honors Richard "Rick" Douglas Husband (July 12, 1957-Feb. 1, 2003). For 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 represented at minus 39.85 degrees south and minus 40.78 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes are tapped at minus 147.17 degrees west and minus 148.51 degrees west, respectively.

Husband Crater's diameter measures 31.26 kilometers. Its size qualifies Husband Crater as the largest among the lunar far side's Columbia craters.

The International Astronomical Union officialized L. Clark 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 XXVIth General Assembly granted group approval to all seven 28th Columbia mission crew-honoring lunar craters.

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 121 shows the seven southern hemisphere craters honoring Mission Specialist Laurel Clark and her 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:

On Friday, Jan. 17, 2003, during Space Shuttle Columbia's 28th mission, STS-107 (Thursday, Jan. 16, to Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003), Mission Specialist 4 Laurel Clark, on her first spaceflight, and Commander Rick Husband, on his second spaceflight, are situated near supportive equipment for experiments on the SPACEHAB Research Double Module (RDM); NASA ID S107E05020: Not subject to copyright, via NASA Image and Video Library @ https://images.nasa.gov/details/S107E05020

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 @ https://asc-planetarynames-data.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/moon_farside.pdf

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 121 shows the seven southern hemisphere craters honoring Mission Specialist Laurel Clark and her 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 @ https://asc-planetarynames-data.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Lunar/lac_121_wac.pdf

For further information:

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