Fairchild School Honors Fallen Astronaut Lt. Col. Michael Anders - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

Fairchild School Honors Fallen Astronaut Lt. Col. Michael Anderson

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FAIRCHILD AIR FORCE BASE, Wash. – Students and faculty at Michael Anderson Elementary School on Fairchild Air Force Base hosted an assembly Thursday to honor the life of their school's namesake.

Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Anderson was a KC-135 Stratotanker pilot before he was selected to become an astronaut with NASA. He was aboard the space shuttle Columbia, which broke up while reentering the atmosphere following their mission in 2003, killing all on board.

Anderson attended high school in Cheney while his father was stationed at Fairchild. The elementary school on base was renamed in his honor after the disaster.

Following the assembly, students gave tours of the school, showcasing displays created by various classes depicting the life of Lt. Col. Anderson.