Space Shuttle Columbia disaster the seven Columbia astronauts, as well as the other seven crew members who lost their lives in the Space Shuttle "Challenger" disaster in 1986. The concerts were televised to millions throughout Brazil and the world. On March 26, the United States House of Representatives' Science Committee approved funds for the construction of a memorial at Arlington National Cemetery for the STS-107 crew. A similar memorial was built at the cemetery for the last crew of "Challenger". On October 28, 2003, the names of the astronauts were added to the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. On
Origins of the International Space Station and Japanese national space programmes closer to the US-led project, thereby preventing those nations from becoming major, independent competitors too. In September 1993, American Vice-President Al Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin announced plans for a new space station, which eventually became the International Space Station. They also agreed, in preparation for this new project, that the United States would be involved in the Mir programme, including American Shuttles docking, in the Shuttle–Mir Programme. The Russian Orbital Segment (ROS or RS) is the eleventh Soviet-Russian space station. Mir ("Peace") and the ISS are successors to the Salyut ("Fireworks") and