posted 01-20-2026 06:02 PM               

NASA's Day of Remembrance Honors Fallen Heroes of Exploration

NASA will observe its annual Day of Remembrance on Thursday, Jan. 22, which includes commemorating the crews of Apollo 1 and the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. The event is traditionally held every year on the fourth Thursday of January, as all three astronaut accidents happened around the end of the month.

"On NASA's Day of Remembrance, we pause to honor the members of the NASA family who lost their lives while pushing the boundaries of exploration and discovery," said NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman. "We remember them not to retreat from risk, but to respect it — to learn, to improve, and continue onward. Their sacrifice and the strength of their families will forever inspire us as we continue to reach for the stars and pursue the secrets of the universe."

Isaacman will lead an observance at 1 p.m. EST at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, which will begin with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by observances for the Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia crews.

Several agency centers also will hold observances:

• Johnson Space Center in Houston
  
  NASA Johnson will hold a commemoration at 10 a.m. CST at the Astronaut Memorial Grove with remarks by Center Director Vanessa Wyche, NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli, and Cheryl McNair, widow of Challenger astronaut Ronald McNair. The event will have a moment of silence, a NASA T-38 flyover, taps performed by the Texas A&M Squadron 17, and a procession placing flowers at Apollo I, Challenger, and Columbia memorial trees.

• Kennedy Space Center in Florida
  
  NASA Kennedy and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation will host a ceremony at the Space Shuttle Atlantis building at Kennedy's Visitor Complex at 11 a.m. EST. The event will include musical guests, a bell ringing commemoration, a moment of silence, and wreath-laying. Kelvin Manning, deputy director at NASA Kennedy, and Bob Cabana, former NASA associate administrator and Kennedy center director, will provide remarks during the ceremony, which will livestream on the center's Facebook page.

• Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley
  
  NASA Ames will hold a remembrance ceremony at 1 p.m. PST that includes remarks from Center Director Eugene Tu, a moment of silence, and bell ringing commemoration for each astronaut lost in service.

• Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia
  
  NASA Langley will hold a remembrance ceremony at 1 p.m. EST with acting Center Director Trina Dyal, followed by placing flags at the Langley Workers Memorial.

• Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama
  
  NASA Marshall will hold a candle-lighting ceremony and wreath placement at 9:30 a.m. CST and include remarks from Rae Ann Meyer, Marshall's acting center director, and Bill Hill, director of Safety and Mission Assurance at Marshall.

• Stennis Space Flight Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
  
  NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center will hold a wreath-laying ceremony and moment of silence at 10:30 a.m. CST with remarks from Center Director John Bailey and Anita Harrell, NASA Shared Services Center executive director.

The agency also is paying tribute to its fallen astronauts with special online content, updated on NASA's Day of Remembrance.

posted 01-20-2026 06:06 PM               

Annual NASA Day of Remembrance at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Thursday, January 22, 2026

NASA, in partnership with the Astronauts Memorial Foundation and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, will host NASA's Day of Remembrance on Thursday, January 22. The ceremony will begin beneath Space Shuttle Atlantis and will honor all astronauts who have sacrificed their lives while furthering the cause of space exploration and discovery. This year marks 40 years since the Challenger tragedy.

Following brief remarks beneath Space Shuttle Atlantis, the ceremony will move to the Space Mirror Memorial for a wreath laying. Attendees will be given flowers to pay respect to our fallen heroes. Speakers to include:

• Howard Schwartz, acting COO, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
  
• Thad Altman, Executive Director/CEO, The Astronauts Memorial Foundation
  
• Kathie Scobee, The Astronauts Memorial Foundation
  
• Bob Cabana, Veteran NASA Astronaut
  
• Andy Allen, Veteran NASA Astronaut

The ceremony is scheduled to be streamed live on Kennedy Space Center's Facebook, YouTube and X pages at 11 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Jan. 22.

posted 01-20-2026 06:07 PM               

Astronaut Memorial Ceremony

The annual Astronaut Memorial Ceremony for the 17 crew members of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia who perished in America’s space program will be conducted Sunday Jan. 25 at 1 pm EST at Sand Point Park in Titusville, Florida.

Three-time Space Shuttle astronaut Jan Davis will be the keynote speaker. The public is invited to attend this reverent and patriotic ceremony that honors the lives and sacrifice made by these pioneers of NASA’s manned space program.

The annual remembrance is hosted by the City of Titusville Flag & Memorial Committee and the American Space Museum. The Titusville Garden Club provides the flowers for this honorable ceremony. The event is free and open to the public.

The event includes a keynote address, patriotic songs, a host of city and county dignitaries, participation from the Knights of Columbus, the Civil Air Patrol, a rifle salute and placement of flowers on the 17 plaques at the park honoring the fallen space travelers.

The event will be broadcast on the American Space Museum’s YouTube channel.

Jan Davis is a three-time Space Shuttle Mission Specialist. She is also an accomplished engineer, industry executive, and author of her two memoirs tied to her aviator father: "Air Born: Two Generations in Flight” and “Air Born: Artistic Musings of a WWII Pilot and POW.”

An informal reception will be afterward from 3-4 pm at the American Space Museum in Downtown Titusville.

posted 01-20-2026 06:09 PM               

Fallen Astronauts Remembered Jan. 10-Feb. 5

NASA honors the memory of all astronauts and astronaut candidates who sacrificed their lives while furthering the cause of space exploration and discovery on its annual Day of Remembrance — the last Thursday every January.

The Museum will honor the astronauts with special exhibits and a video in the Museum’s Charles Simonyi Space Gallery Jan. 10-Feb. 5. The exhibit recalls Apollo 1 (Jan. 27, 1967) and the space shuttles Challenger (Jan. 28, 1986) and Columbia (Feb. 1, 2003).

posted 01-22-2026 03:16 PM               

NASA’s annual Day of Remembrance pays tribute to all members of the NASA family who lost their lives in the pursuit of exploration and discovery, including test pilots, the Apollo 1 crew, and the crews of space shuttles Challenger and Columbia. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Challenger.

On Jan. 22, 2026, we pause to honor their memory and reflect on the importance of maintaining a strong safety culture.