Bush leads astronaut tributes

US President George W Bush led thousands of grieving space workers and their families, friends and neighbours in a solemn farewell yesterday to the seven Columbia astronauts.

“Their mission was almost complete and we lost them so close to home,” Mr Bush said.

Bush, his head bowed in mourning, and first lady Laura Bush wiped tears as the men and women who died in the space shuttle disaster were remembered at the home of Mission Control. The shuttle broke up as it was returning to Earth on Saturday.