Space shuttle Columbia broke up in flames 200,000 feet over Texas in a bright blue sky Saturday, killing all seven astronauts aboard less than 16 minutes before they were to glide to a triumphant landing at Florida's Kennedy Space Center.

"Columbia is lost; there are no survivors," President Bush announced from the White House.

This was the 28th space mission of the Columbia since it made its debut in space on April 12, 1981. It had undergone a number of major modifications since then, including a $145 million overhaul in 2001. The latest launch, which took place Jan. 16, was delayed multiple times due to technical worries.

In a touching tribute to the fallen astronauts, three local organizations IAGB (India Association Of Greater Boston), FISI (Friends of India Society International) and AAINA (Association of Americans of Indian origin in New England Area) organized a vigil at the Burlington High School on Sunday February 9. Attended by over 200 people, the event highlighted the contributions made by the seven astronauts to the world of science and Technology. Several young girls came forward to light seven little lamps and to speak of their hero Dr. Kalpana Chawla, the Indian born astronaut who perished in the tragedy.

The program started with Ms. Kumkum Dilwali and a group of children singing the American national anthem. The rendering of the Israeli anthem by Ms. Sharon of Lexington and the Indian National anthem by Ms. Dilwali’s group followed this.

Among the several prominent members of the community who addressed the gathering were Mr. Chandrakant Phanse of FISI, Ms. Ranjani Saigal of IAGB, Dr. Sudarshan Chatterji of AAINA and Mr. Puran Dang of The United India Association of New England All the speakers mourned the untimely death of the astronauts and praised their dedication to the cause of advancement of Science.

Dr. Anil Khurana who attended the same college as Dr. Chawla and edited the college publication with her spoke of his association with her. He remembered her passion and commitment to space travel and the sacrifices she was always willing to make in order to fulfill her dream of capturing the skies.

Dr. Anuradha Annasamy, Research Professor in the Dept of Mechanical Engineering at MIT drew parallels between her life and Dr. Chawla’s, observing that the path to success is often paved with obstacles often-insurmountable ones.

The gathering was also addressed by Sixth District Congressman John Tierney who offered his condolences to the Indian American community at the loss of one of India’s brightest ‘daughters’. Later talking with Lokvani, Mr. Tierney said “Not only are we mourning their deaths, we are also celebrating the remarkable lives that they lead. This (Indian American) community is amazing, coming together like this to commemorate these heroes is a commendable thing. I am glad I am here today to witness this. The India Association should be commended for honoring the astronauts in such a beautiful manner.”

AAINA and PTI media jointly organized a visual presentation of the Columbia tragedy. Local children from the Chinmaya Center and from Balagokulam sang Sanskrit Shlokas and Dr. Chatterji and his group sang Vande Mataram.

It was an occasion marked by solemnity and sadness that served to bring a community together to pay homage to the spirit of the people who dared to risk their lives to nurture their dreams.

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