History, revised?...

I've been told a link in the entry below on Lisa Nowak is dead. The link was to a tribute to Lisa Nowak entered into the House record by Congressman Chris Van Hollen. I double checked and sure enough the linked article, and any mention of it, has been deleted from Van Hollen's webpage.

Luckily, Google has a nasty habit of keeping old snapshots of websites around. Google's cache of the tribute is here...

And, in case that fails, here is the (apparently too controversial for Chris) text of the tribute:

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Tribute to Lisa Nowak

Washington, D.C. - Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend one of my constituents, Lisa Nowak, a member of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) space shuttle Discovery crew set to perform the STS-121 mission to the International Space Station on July 1, 2006. Ms. Nowak was selected as one of seven members of the Discovery crew, where she will serve as a mission specialist.

With her experience in the U.S. Navy and at NASA, Ms. Nowak's participation in the STS-121 mission represents the culmination of a career filled with numerous accomplishments. Ms. Nowak graduated from C.W. Woodward High School in Rockville, Maryland and went on to obtain a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1985 and Masters of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School. After receiving her commission from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1985, Ms. Nowak became a Naval Flight Officer in 1987. While serving as a Naval test pilot, Ms. Nowak received several prestigious awards, including the Navy Commendation Medal and Navy Achievement Medal. In 1996, Ms. Nowak was selected by NASA, becoming a mission specialist after completing two years of training and evaluation. The STS-121 mission in July will be Ms. Nowak's first mission into space.

During the STS-121 mission to the International Space Station, the crew of the space shuttle Discovery will test new equipment and procedures that increase the safety of the space shuttle. Its mission will be to complete an analysis of safety improvements that debuted on the Return to Flight mission, STS 114, and build upon those tests.

Mr. Speaker, I offer my warmest congratulations to Ms. Nowak. Her work plays a vital role in continued advances and improvements to our space program. Her courage, hard work, and accomplishments serve as an inspiration to us all.