NASA Day of Remembrance 2022


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The Ceremony Was Streamed on Facebook Live (@NASAKennedy)

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Spectrum Channel 13 News

55th anniversary of Apollo 1 fire remembered as NASA prepares for next moon shot

By Will Robinson-Smith Brevard County

PUBLISHED 9:19 PM ET Jan. 27, 2022

More than half a century ago, the first astronauts set to fly in the Apollo era died tragically in a fire while performing a command module test ahead of the planned Saturn 1B rocket launch.

Theirs is just one of the tragedies in the endeavor of human spaceflight that NASA centers across the country marked during the annual Day of Remembrance held on the last Thursday of each January.

This year happened to coincide with the day that the world lost astronauts Edward White, Virgil “Gus” Grissom and Roger Chaffee on January 27, 1967.

“The thought never goes away — the same feelings I had on that particular day,” said Lowell Grissom, Gus’ brother.

Grissom was one of a handful of family members who gathered alongside friends and guests at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Thursday to mark the solemn day.

He was living in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the time of the tragedy and said his father called him to share the horrible news.

“You just don’t know what to do or where to go — it’s total confusion and sadness,” Grissom said. “And this, while I feel honored to be able to do this, it still brings back some of those sad memories as well.”

Also in attendance at the KSCV ceremony was Sheryl Chaffee, Roger’s daughter. She was only 8 years old when her father died, and didn’t understand the magnitude of the Apollo program until she was older.

“When you have a traumatic event like that when you’re very young, you kind of don’t, or at least I didn’t, really want to think about it,” Chaffee said. “I didn’t want to pay attention to it — I didn’t, until I was much older.”

As circumstances would have it, Chaffee ended up following in her father’s footsteps in a way and worked for NASA for 33 years before retiring five years ago. She also became involved with the Astronauts Memorial Foundation and currently serves as its chair.

“Probably all of that in some weird way — working for NASA and doing this work with the foundation — has been a great healing process for me,” Chaffee said. “I was just talking to Kathie Scobee (Fulgham) earlier and we were saying how, you know, it’s not quite so sad anymore. It’s more hopeful and we’re celebrating their lives and we’re not so much remembering the loss.”


At KSC, NASA's Day of Remembrance honors the fallen

by Jamie Groh

FLORIDA TODAY

Published 1:00p.m. ET Jan. 27, 2022

NASA officials and invited guests on Thursday gathered at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice for spaceflight, an annual gathering held at centers across the country.

NASA’s Day of Remembrance – observed annually on the last Thursday of January – serves as an opportunity for the agency and family members to honor those who gave their lives in pursuit of space exploration.

The day is observed because three separate tragedies occurred decades apart but all in the same calendar week: Apollo 1 test capsule fire in 1967, the space shuttle Challenger explosion just after takeoff in 1986, and shuttle Columbia's failure during re-entry in 2003.

Columbia broke apart during its re-entry sequence just sixteen minutes before landing in Florida, killing all seven crew members aboard. The following year, officials decided to mark the last Thursday of January to honor all three – and all others who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Due to the threat of inclement weather, the ceremony was held inside The Center for Space Education at the Visitor Complex. Afterward, attendees were led in procession to the Space Mirror Memorial at the Visitor complex for a ceremonial wreath-laying commemorating those lost.

In attendance were family members of the fallen astronauts as well as speakers Kelvin Manning, Deputy Director of NASA Kennedy Space Center, and Thad Altman, President of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation.

"Each year we come together, not only to remember the lives and the legacy of the men and the women who made the ultimate sacrifice in the quest to expand science further for the sake of humanity, but to recommit ourselves to ensuring the safety of those who continue to keep the dream of human spaceflight alive," Manning said.

A common theme present during the ceremony was the agency's initiative to return humanity to the Moon, and then on to Mars and further with the Artemis Program.

"As we rise to the challenges of today's new era in spaceflight, return to the Moon, sending humans deeper into space than ever before, we salute the pioneers who have gone before us and we stand fully committed to the safety of those who pick up the torch and continue for the benefit of humanity," Manning said.

The day marked the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 1 test capsule fire at Kennedy Space Center – an on-the-pad, pre-launch test that resulted in a fire breaking out in the capsule that ultimately killed NASA astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee.

An honored speaker at the event was Lowell Grissom, brother of Gus.

"Apollo 1 has taught us we can never really fail as long as we persist in our efforts. The greatest lesson we can learn from Grissom, White, and Chaffee is that failure is impossible for those who refuse to abandon their goals. Ultimately, the most fitting tribute to the crew of Apollo 1 is for us to continue doing that for which they gave their lives," he said.

Guests at the Visitor Complex were encouraged to pay their respects at the Space Mirror Memorial later in the day following the ceremony. They were also encouraged to visit the "Forever Remembered" memorial located inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit to remember those lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia tragedies and the Apollo 1 Ad Astra Per Aspera tribute at the Saturn V Center.

A common theme present during the ceremony was the agency's initiative to return humanity to the Moon, and then on to Mars and further with the Artemis Program.

"As we rise to the challenges of today's new era in spaceflight, return to the Moon, sending humans deeper into space than ever before, we salute the pioneers who have gone before us and we stand fully committed to the safety of those who pick up the torch and continue for the benefit of humanity," Manning said.

The day marked the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 1 test capsule fire at Kennedy Space Center – an on-the-pad, pre-launch test that resulted in a fire breaking out in the capsule that ultimately killed NASA astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee.

An honored speaker at the event was Lowell Grissom, brother of Gus.

"Apollo 1 has taught us we can never really fail as long as we persist in our efforts. The greatest lesson we can learn from Grissom, White, and Chaffee is that failure is impossible for those who refuse to abandon their goals. Ultimately, the most fitting tribute to the crew of Apollo 1 is for us to continue doing that for which they gave their lives," he said.

Guests at the Visitor Complex were encouraged to pay their respects at the Space Mirror Memorial later in the day following the ceremony. They were also encouraged to visit the "Forever Remembered" memorial located inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit to remember those lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia tragedies and the Apollo 1 Ad Astra Per Aspera tribute at the Saturn V Center.

A common theme present during the ceremony was the agency's initiative to return humanity to the Moon, and then on to Mars and further with the Artemis Program.

"As we rise to the challenges of today's new era in spaceflight, return to the Moon, sending humans deeper into space than ever before, we salute the pioneers who have gone before us and we stand fully committed to the safety of those who pick up the torch and continue for the benefit of humanity," Manning said.

The day marked the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 1 test capsule fire at Kennedy Space Center – an on-the-pad, pre-launch test that resulted in a fire breaking out in the capsule that ultimately killed NASA astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee.

An honored speaker at the event was Lowell Grissom, brother of Gus.

"Apollo 1 has taught us we can never really fail as long as we persist in our efforts. The greatest lesson we can learn from Grissom, White, and Chaffee is that failure is impossible for those who refuse to abandon their goals. Ultimately, the most fitting tribute to the crew of Apollo 1 is for us to continue doing that for which they gave their lives," he said.

Guests at the Visitor Complex were encouraged to pay their respects at the Space Mirror Memorial later in the day following the ceremony. They were also encouraged to visit the "Forever Remembered" memorial located inside the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit to remember those lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia tragedies and the Apollo 1 Ad Astra Per Aspera tribute at the Saturn V Center.

Many other NASA centers including Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, and Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, held virtual or closed to the media events for limited guests due to constraints of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

All names on the Space Mirror Memorial:

  • Theodore Freeman

  • Charles Bassett

  • Elliott See

  • Clifton Williams

  • Virgil "Gus" Grissom

  • Edward White

  • Roger Chaffee

  • Michael Adams

  • Robert Lawrence

  • Francis Scobee

  • Michael Smith

  • Judith Resnik

  • Ellison Onizuka

  • Ronald McNair

  • Gregory Jarvis

  • Christa McAuliffe

  • Manley "Sonny" Carter

  • Rick Husband

  • William McCool

  • Laurel Clark

  • Michael Anderson

  • Kalpana Chawla

  • David Brown

  • Ilan Ramon

  • Michael T Alsbury


INTERACTIVE: NASA honors fallen astronauts in Day of Remembrance

Memorial remembers two dozen NASA astronauts and astronaut candidates

Christie Zizo, Digital Editor [WKMG]

Published: January 26, 2022, 7:00 AM/Updated: January 27, 2022, 1:04 PM

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – On Thursday NASA remembered the astronauts and astronaut candidates who died in service to U.S. space exploration.

NASA’s annual Day of Remembrance service was held at the Space Mirror Memorial at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. While the event is only for invited guests, the public will be able to visit the Space Mirror later in the day to pay their respects.

NASA’s Day of Remembrance honors the lives of two dozen people, including the crews of three space missions, as well as astronaut candidates who died in accidents.

The memorial service takes place on the 55th anniversary of the Apollo 1 accident. The first manned mission for the U.S. Apollo program was supposed to launch on Feb. 21, 1967 with a low Earth orbit test.

On Jan. 27, 1967, Virgil “Gus” Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee were taking part in a launch rehearsal test when there was a cabin fire that killed the three men and destroyed the command module.

The service also honors the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger STS-51L mission, which exploded on launch on Jan. 28, 1986, killing the seven-member crew, and the crew of Space Shuttle Columbia STS-107, which broke upon its return to Earth on Feb. 1, 2003, killing all seven astronauts on board.

All of the names of the dead are engraved on the Space Mirror Memorial, a black granite wall that is always lit – a reminder that space exploration is sometimes a dangerous business.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex also has memorials to the crews of the three astronaut missions. Forever Remembered is a memorial exhibit for the crews of space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, while Ad Astra Per Aspera is a memorial exhibit for the Apollo 1 crew. All of the memorials have personal items and recovered hardware from the vehicles.

Learn about all of the fallen astronauts and astronaut candidates in the timeline [at WKMG ClickOrlando link here:] https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/01/26/interactive-nasa-honors-fallen-astronauts-in-day-of-remembrance


NASA marks Apollo, space shuttle tragedies on annual Day of Remembrance

By RICHARD TRIBOU

ORLANDO SENTINEL |

JAN 27, 2022 AT 10:01 AM


NASA’s most tragic events happened 55 years ago, 36 years ago and 19 years ago with the deaths of 17 men and women in the Apollo 1 fire, Space Shuttle Challenger explosion on liftoff and Space Shuttle Columbia destruction on re-entry.

NASA honored their memory as well as others who died in the pursuit of space exploration during the annual Day of Remembrance events in Washington, D.C., Kennedy Space Center, Houston and other NASA locations. The events coincide with the anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire that killed Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom, Edward H. White and Roger B. Chaffee during a launch pad test at what was then Cape Kennedy Air Force Station.

"NASA’s Day of Remembrance is an opportunity to honor members of the NASA family who lost their lives in our shared endeavor to advance exploration and discovery for the good of all humanity,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson this week. “Every day, we have an opportunity to further uplift the legacies of those who gave their lives in pursuit of discovery by taking the next giant leap, meeting every challenge head-on, as they did.

“In doing so, we also must never forget the lessons learned from each tragedy, and embrace our core value of safety.”

The Apollo 1 accident happened in the early evening of Friday, Jan. 27, 1967. The three astronauts set to be the first manned mission of the Apollo lunar landing program were testing ahead of their planned February launch when fire broke out at 6:31 p.m. during a simulation on Launch Complex 34.

NASA’s next major blow came 19 years and one day later, just before noon on Tuesday Jan. 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of Central Florida, after an O-ring seal failed. People all over the country viewed the disaster live because the shuttle was carrying Christa McAuliffe, who would have been the first teacher in space.

Also killed were astronauts Michael J. Smith, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis and Judith Resnick.

NASA last saw major tragedy in the morning hours of Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003, when Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry on the shuttle’s 28th mission killing its seven-member crew.

The crew of STS-107 included Rick Husband, Kalpana Chawla, William McCool, David Brown, Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon.

Nelson participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia at 10 a.m. Later, he will join NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy and Associate Administrator Bob Cabana for a panel discussion on NASA safety and lessons learned from the tragedies that will air on NASA’s website at 3:30 p.m.

At Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, a ceremony was held at the Space Mirror Memorial with Astronauts Memorial Foundation President and state Rep. Thad Altman as well as Kennedy Space Center Deputy Director Kelvin Manning.

In attendance were family members of the fallen astronauts including Sheryl Chaffee, the daughter of Roger Chaffee; Lowell Grissom, the brother of Gus Grissom; Kathie Scobee Fulgham, the daughter of Space Shuttle Challenger Commander Dick Scobee; and Evelyn Husband Thompson, the widow of Space Shuttle Columbia Commander Rick Husband. The ceremony livestreamed on Kennedy Space Center’s Facebook channel.

Other ceremonies were held at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, Glenn Research Center in Cleveland.

Richard Tribou is the Senior Content Editor for the Audience Engagement team of the Orlando Sentinel, which covers everything from hurricanes to coronavirus to the Florida Man. The former travel editor and space enthusiast still covers the travel and space industry, including cruises.