M. Anderson Crater Honors Columbia Payload Commander Michael Anderson

Summary: Lunar far side M. Anderson Crater honors Columbia Payload Commander Michael Anderson, who perished with his six colleagues on the spaceplane in 2003.

During his second spaceflight, Michael Anderson, payload commander 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 M. Anderson Crater honors Space Shuttle Columbia Payload Commander Michael Phillip Anderson (Dec. 25, 1959-Feb. 1, 2003), who perished during his second spaceflight, along with his six colleagues, as the shuttle orbiter re-entered Earth's atmosphere Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003.

The southeastern interior of Apollo Crater cradles seven craters honoring the Space Shuttle Columbia's last crew. Also known as Apollo Basin, the huge impact crater occurs as a basin-within-a-basin within the massive 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 travel from minus 28.12 degrees south to minus 44.19 degrees south, respectively. The worn geologic structure pinpoints its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 140.58 degrees west and minus 162.07 degrees west, respectively. Apollo Crater's diameter spans 524.23 kilometers.

Columbia Mission Specialist David Brown's lunar crater is centered at minus 41.21 degrees south latitude, minus 148.99 degrees west longitude. It identifies its northernmost and southernmost latitudes as minus 40.93 degrees south and minus 41.49 degrees south, respectively. It determines 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.

M. Anderson Crater anchors the westernmost position among the lunar far side's group of Columbia craters. Its location also marks the western terminus in a fairly straight-line alignment of a trio including Ramon and McCool craters.

Ramon Crater, sited closely to the east, qualifies as M. Anderson Crater's closest Columbia craterous neighbor. 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 obtains its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 40.97 degrees south and minus 41.49 degrees south, respectively. It secures its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 147.71 degrees west and minus 148.45 degrees west, respectively. Ramon Crater has a diameter of 17.23 kilometers.

McCool Crater marks the trio's eastern terminus. McCool Crater's site also qualifies as the easternmost position among the lunar far side's group of 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 occur at minus 40.94 degrees south and minus 41.62 degrees south latitude, respectively. It establishes its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 145.81 degrees west and minus 146.71 degrees west, respectively. McCool Crater has a diameter of 20.47 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

Partial visibility exists between M. Anderson and D. Brown craters. From its dip southeast of Ramon Crater and southwest of McCool Crater, D. Brown Crater partially peeks at M. Anderson 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 closes its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 41.38 degrees south and minus 41.91 degrees south, respectively. It settles its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 146.80 degrees west and minus 147.52 degrees west, respectively. D. Brown Crater has a diameter of 16.12 kilometers.

Husband Crater lies to the northeast as McCool Crater's only northern Columbia neighbor. Husband Crater's position qualifies as the northernmost location among the lunar far side's group of 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. It sets its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 39.85 degrees south and minus 40.78 degrees south, respectively. The crater determines its easternmost and westernmost longitudes at minus 147.17 degrees west and minus 148.51 degrees west, respectively.

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

Chawla and L. Clark craters lie to the southeast of M. Anderson Crater. Chawla Crater occurs to the south of D. Brown Crater. L. Clark Crater's location as Chawla Crater's only southern neighbor qualifies as the southernmost position among the lunar far side's group of 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 marks its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 42.24 degrees south and minus 42.71 degrees south, respectively. It observes easternmost and westernmost longitudes of minus 147.17 degrees west and minus 147.80 degrees west, respectively.

Chawla Crater has a diameter of 14.25 kilometers. Its littleness 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 28th mission.

L. Clark Crater is centered at minus 43.34 degrees south latitude, minus 147.70 degrees west longitude. The southernmost lunar Columbia crater logs its northernmost and southernmost latitudes at minus 43.08 degrees south and minus 43.59 degrees south, respectively. Its easternmost and westernmost longitudes are defined 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 adopted 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 crater's officialization occurred as part of a batch approval of Columbia-honoring far side lunar craters during the XXVIth General Assembly.

Detail of Lunar Aeronautical Chart (LAC) 121 shows the seven southern hemisphere craters honoring Payload Commander Michael Anderson 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:

During his second spaceflight, Michael Anderson, payload commander 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 @ https://images.nasa.gov/details/S107E05033

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 Payload Commander Michael Anderson 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 @ https://asc-planetarynames-data.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Lunar/lac_121_wac.pdf

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