BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Thursday, Jan. 23, marks a day of remembrance for NASA and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation.
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The solemn ceremony pays tribute to the lives lost in three of the most tragic moments in NASA’s history.
The ceremony took place at the Space Mirror Memorial at the visitor complex.
The commemoration included a wreath-laying ceremony, and attendees were given flowers to respect the lives lost.
Kelvin Manning, the acting director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, said, “January 27th, 1967. January 28th, 1986. February 1st, 2003. For each of the audacious goals for which we aspire and each of the successes. Yet before us, we owe a debt of gratitude to the crews of Apollo One, Challenger, and Columbia, and to all the others who have lost their lives in the advancement of science and exploration.”
Tal Ramon, the son of Israel’s first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, was just 12 years old when his father died in the space shuttle Columbia disaster.
Ramon said, “He understood that we are all part of something much greater than ourselves. His passion and vision still shine like a light, pushing us to dream better and dream for a better future—a future full of purpose, peace, and equality.”
For NASA, lessons learned should never be forgotten.
“We are ensuring continued human access to space and advancing our exploration goals by leveraging public-private partnerships to develop and operate safe and reliable spacecraft.” Manning said, “Together, we are pushing rapidly to make progress towards the moon, mars, and beyond”
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