The National Aeronautics and Space Administration holds a day of remembrance every January for those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of exploration and discovery for the benefit of humanity.
The day is typically held on the fourth Thursday in January. This year, the fourth Thursday is Jan. 22.
January is significant for NASA, as the three largest tragedies in its history all happened within a one week period, years apart. Two of the three of these happened to be in January.
On Jan. 27, 1967, Apollo 1 was undergoing final test preparations for a launch. Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee were sitting in the Apollo 1 command module at the launchpad at Cape Kennedy when a fire broke out. The hatch would not open, and all three astronauts lost their lives.
The tragedy led to a revamp of the Apollo spacecraft. No flights were designated as Apollo 2 or 3, but Apollo 4 was scheduled for Nov. 1967. A successful launch of the Saturn V rocket wouldn't happen until April 4, 1968, with Apollo 5.
On Jan. 28, 1986, the shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch, taking the life of all seven people on board. This year marks the 40th anniversary since the tragedy.
The launch had been delayed due to weather and a couple minor technical issues for five days.
Just after liftoff, a puff of smoke was observed, followed by 8 more distinct poofs. It was determined the O rings had been burned and eroded. Large gusts of crosswinds made the navigation system more active than in other flights. Flames began engulfing the the strut leading to the solid rocket booster. In a matter of seconds, the
aircraft was destroyed.
On Feb. 1, 2003, Mission Control lost contact with the space shuttle Columbia. A piece of foam fell off an external tank and created a hole in one of the shuttle's wings. The shuttle was destroyed during reentry, again taking the lives of all seven crewmembers.
President Bush addressed the nation and said, "Mankind is led into the darkness beyond our world by the inspiration of discovery and the longing to understand. Our journey into space will go on.”
Arlington National Cemetery will hold a memorial ceremony, as will the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex. The Astronauts Memorial Foundation will also be holding a special screening of Apollo 1, a new feature documentary.
For more information on NASA's Day of Remembrance, visit https://www.nasa.gov/dor/