1954day.year
Ilan Ramon
(1954 - 2003)
Israeli colonel, pilot, and astronaut
Israeli colonel
pilot
and astronaut
Israel's first astronaut, a former Air Force colonel who tragically perished aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003.
Ilan Ramon was an Israeli fighter pilot and the first Israeli astronaut in space.
He served as a colonel in the Israel Defense Forces and flew combat missions in the Yom Kippur War.
In 2003, he joined NASA's STS-107 mission aboard Space Shuttle Columbia.
He conducted scientific experiments and represented Israel on the international stage.
His mission ended in tragedy when Columbia disintegrated during re-entry, claiming the lives of all crew members.
Ramon is remembered as a national hero and pioneer of Israeli space exploration.
Ilan Ramon