Remembering
January 27, 1967 – Apollo 1: Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Ed White, Roger B. Chaffee
January 28, 1986 – Challenger: Ellison S. Onizuka, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, Judy Resnik, Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ron McNair
February 1, 2003 – Columbia: Avid Brown, Laurel Clark, Michale Anderson, Ilan Ramon, Rick Husband, Kalpana Chawla, William McCool
These dates and names will forever be ingrained into the collective consciousness of the US Manned Space Program. On these days, brave men and women paid the ultimate price for furthering America’s presence and dominance in space. The American public saw each event as a disaster; the latter two almost, in their own way, ended America’s manned space program. They all certainly made us all realize that this venture we choose to undertake is not routine nor mundane, and will always carry a certain amount of risk. This week, we honor their lives, dedication, and sacrifice. I urge you to take a moment to remember and reflect on the lives lost, their families, and all of us affected by these losses. In doing so, also remember the in spite of these losses, we move forward.
2 Responses to “Remembering”
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Natalie on January 28th, 2009
NASA has put together a website for the “Day of Remembrance” with more info about the Columbia, Challenger, and Apollo astronauts. http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/dor/
Peter Robinson on January 30th, 2009
Don’t forget Elliott McKay See Jr and Charles Arthur Bassett II who died in 1966 when their T-38 crashed in St. Louis where then had flown to inspect the Gemini capsule. Their deaths moved up the astronaut rotation by two giving Armstrong and Aldrin the opportunity to leave tracks on the moon.
`We will never forget them this morning as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God.’
President Reagan on the Challenger tragedy – but surely these words apply to all those those who passed on yearning to view the mother ship from above.