posted 01-31-2019 11:31 AM               

NASA Pays Tribute to Fallen Heroes

NASA will honor members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, including the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, during the agency's annual Day of Remembrance Thursday, Feb. 7.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, and other agency senior officials, will lead an observance at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia starting at 1 p.m. EST. A wreath-laying ceremony will be held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by observances for the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews.

Various NASA centers also will hold observances on and leading up to the Day of Remembrance for the public, employees and the families of those lost in service to America’s space program.

NASA's Day of Remembrance

Join the Astronauts Memorial Foundation, NASA and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for NASA's Day of Remembrance at the Space Mirror Memorial. The ceremony will take place on February 7, 2019 at 10:00 a.m. EST. Honor all astronauts and astronaut candidates who have sacrificed their lives while furthering the cause of space exploration and discovery.

Following the commemoration, a wreath laying ceremony will take place at the Space Mirror Memorial. Attendees will be given flowers to pay respects to our fallen heroes. As always, this ceremony is included with daily admission to the visitor complex.

posted 02-07-2019 01:08 PM               

Statement from the President

Each year, America pauses to remember its fallen astronaut heroes and the great accomplishments for which they strived. Melania and I mourn their passing and take to heart the lessons of their lives and the greater human potential to which they continue to inspire.

As our Nation continues to lead the world in forging a pathway to space, we honor the legacy of these brave men and women. We vow to continue building the bold future they envisioned for all of humanity on this Earth and beyond. Though our friends, colleagues, and family members have left this Earth, they will always be with us as we journey among the stars.

The loss of the courageous crews from Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia was not in vain. As Americans, our unwavering commitment to continue their heroic journey is unparalleled in the history of human exploration. We will continue to move forward and reach for new heights. We will persevere. And by doing so, we will lead the world into a new era of discovery.

posted 02-07-2019 01:09 PM               

Message from NASA's Administrator

NASA's Day of Remembrance inspires thoughtful reflection and gratitude on behalf of the entire NASA Family, the nation and the world. Each time women and men board a spacecraft, their actions carry great risk along with the opportunity for great discoveries and the chance to push the envelope of human achievement. Today, we honor the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews, as well as other members of the NASA family who lost their lives supporting NASA's mission of exploration. We are deeply grateful to all of them and will always strive to honor their legacy.

On this Day of Remembrance, I will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery with family members of our lost friends and colleagues. Across the country, all flags at NASA Headquarters and the NASA centers will be flown at half-staff in memory of our colleagues lost in the cause of exploration.

NASA has learned hard lessons from each of our tragedies, and we will keep that knowledge at the forefront of our work as we continuously strive for a culture of safety that also enables us to still reach for the stars. What President Reagan said of the Challenger crew applies to each of our fallen colleagues, who "honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives."

The invaluable lessons from our past, and our determination to pay tribute to our crews' achievements, continue to shape our path forward. Later this year, we will have another way to honor and learn from the tragedies we have faced. In April, NASA's Apollo Challenger Columbia Lessons Learned Program, in partnership with the Office of Chief Engineer and Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership, will launch the Space Shuttle Columbia National Tour at the Kennedy Space Center. For the first time ever in this format, artifacts of the Space Shuttle Columbia will tour our NASA centers across the country on a new mission to inspire, engage and educate. It is the heartfelt goal of this tour to pay tribute and honor each of our fallen crews by sharing their stories and what we have learned from them so that a whole new generation of leaders and explorers can stand on their shoulders. I hope all of you will have a chance to see it when it visits your region.

The legacy of those we have lost is present every day in our work and inspires generations of new space explorers. Every day, with each new challenge we overcome and every discovery we make, we honor these remarkable men and women. Please join me in working to fulfill their dreams for the future.