Anyone who is familiar with NASA history knows that the end of January and the beginning of February have brought the agency’s darkest days. The Apollo 1 fire on the launchpad at Kennedy Space Center, which claimed the lives of astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee and threatened to derail the Apollo program before it got off the ground, took place on Jan. 27, 1967.
The space shuttle Challenger exploded just over a minute after launch on Jan. 28, 1986, claiming the lives of all seven crew members on board. That mission commanded a lot of attention because it included the first “teacher in space,” Christa McAuliffe. Finally, the space shuttle Columbia broke apart on reentry on Feb. 1, 2003, and all seven crew members lost their lives.
NASA honors the memory of these astronauts who perished in spaceflight-related accidents on its annual Day of Remembrance, which takes place on January 23 this year. January is an appropriate month for this annual remembrance since these tragedies took place within days of each other on the calendar.
“On NASA’s Day of Remembrance, we pause to reflect on the bravery, dedication, and selflessness of the extraordinary individuals who pushed the boundaries of exploration and discovery,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free. “Their legacies remind us of the profound responsibility we have to carry their dreams forward while ensuring safety remains our guiding principle.”
Other astronauts lost their lives in accidents that didn’t take place in spaceflight operations. Elliot See and Charles Bassett perished when their jet crashed on their way to a rendezvous simulation in 1966, while Robert Lawrence, who was set to become the first black astronaut, lost his life in another jet crash in 1967. NASA honors them and others on the yearly Day of Remembrance as well.
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The cornerstone of the Day of Remembrance ceremonies will take place when Free places a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery at 1 p.m. EST; presumably, Trump-appointed acting NASA Director Janet Petro will attend as well. Twenty-one astronauts are buried or memorialized at Arlington, including those who didn’t lose their lives in accidents, and the cemetery has memorials to Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia.
NASA facilities will hold their own memorial commemorations. Johnson Space Center in Houston will hold a ceremony that includes a flyover, a performance of “Taps,” and placing flowers at memorial trees. Kennedy Space Center will hold an event at the Space Mirror, the center’s memorial to fallen astronauts, in which Kelvin Manning, the center’s deputy director, and Tal Ramon, the son of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, who died in the Columbia disaster, will speak. KSC will stream its event live on Facebook.
Other events will take place at Marshall Space Flight Center, Stennis Space Flight Center, Langley Research Center, and Ames Research Center. Glenn Research Center will hold a ceremony on January 28. NASA will also post exclusive online content on the Day of Remembrance page on the agency’s website.
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