Ilan Ramon

On Januaiy 16 2003 the Columbia Space Shuttle was launched into space from Florida, USA. carrying 7 astronauts, including the first Israeli astronaut, Israel Air Force fighter pilot, Colonel Han Ramon. 16 days later, 16 minutes before landing, the space shuttle exploded in the atmosphere, above the state of Texas, and all the crew members were killed.

llan Ramon was born in 1954 in Ramat Gan, Israel At the age of 8 he moved with his family to Beer-Sheva He graduated in Electronic Engineering from the University of Tel Aviv. He was a fighter pilot in the Israel Air Force and served ad Commander of a F-16 Squadron. As a young pilot he participated in the Israel air strile on the Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981.

During Columbia's flight the 7 astronauts performed 80 scientific experiments One of these experiments was planned and prepared by Israeli school children for the research into the difference between the growth of crystals on earth and space. The Columbia crew also performed the Israeli "MEIDEX" experiment, prepared by scientistists from the University of Tel Aviv, which investigated dust particles over the area of the Mediterranean and looked as "Sprites", a paricular type of lightning that had yet to be researched. Most of the results of the Israeli experiments were transmitted online to an Israeli team on the ground.

llan Ramon took with him to space a number of meaningful symbolic items including the President's flag, IAF flag, the flag of Israel apace Agency (who were responsible for the project) and personal items such as drawing of the moon by a young Jewish boy who was killed in the Holocaust. He also was given a Sefer Torah from Professor Yosef, a survivor of the Bergen Belsen concentration camp and one of the two principal investigators of teh MEIDEX experiment.

During the 16 days of flight, proudly followed by citizens of Israel and Jewish people worldwide, Colonel Ramon, in a live broadcast, descnbed the symbolism ol taking the Sefer Torah on board the shuttle. He explained that it was a symbol of rebirth of the Jewish people from the ashes of the Holocaust to the splendor of space. The picture of Colonel Ramon with the Sefer Torah hovering near him in the Columbia Space Shuttle will remain engraved on all our hearts.

Ilan Ramon was married to Ronah and father of 4 children. He was 48 when he died.

The citizens of Israel, like millions of others around the world, bow thwir heards in memory of the 7 valiant astronauts who dedicated their lives to science.

Abu Har-Even,
Director General,
Israel Space Agency.

Description of the Stamp
The stamp shows: A portrait of Ilan Ramon in a space suit; the view from the space shuttle of Israel and Sinai; map of the stars; Columbia Space Shuttle; Israel Space Agency (ISA) emblem; sunrise as seen from space; the flight symbol STS 107.

The selvage of the stamp sheet shows: a satellite photograph of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea; The Milky Way; Columbia Space Shuttle; the Israeli and USA flags; a silhouette of Ilan Ramon looking at the sunset out of the space shuttle window; starfield.

Issue: February 2004
Designer: Saniel Goldberg
Stamp size: 30.8 mm X 30.8 mm
Plate no.: 538 (two phosphor bars)
Sheet of 10 stamps (regular sheet whith decorated selvage)
Tabs: 5
Printers: E. Lewin-Epstein Ltd.
Method of printing: offset

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