NASA Remembers Fallen Heroes - 2023

[catdlr]

Jan 26, 2023
NASA remembers the crews of Apollo 1, space shuttles Challenger and Columbia during the agency's Day of Remembrance on Jan. 26, 2023. Feb. 1 marks the 20th anniversary of the Columbia STS-107 accident.

NASA's Day of Remembrance honors all members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery.

[Nomadd]

 Just happened to be taking a break from hanging pictures for my sister and trying to get a floating globe to float when I saw this.
 These guys and their missions were the best the world had to offer. Their courage, dedication and the price they paid won't be forgotten in this family.

[Harry Cover]

NASA darkest week. The coincidence of dates is just so silly - and irritating, and depressing too.

I can remember clearly how baffled I was 20 years ago when Columbia broke up, killing its infortunate crew.

Can't help thinking about that quote.
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs/new-atlanticist/something-is-wrong-with-our-bloody-ships-today/

"Something is wrong with our bloody spaceships that last week of January." 

17 astronauts is quite a heavy toll to commemorate within the span of a single week... it is a bit depressing. Let's not forget those heroes, indeed.

[Vahe231991]

Wednesday of next week marks the 20th anniversary of the explosion of the Space Shuttle Columbia upon re-entry while returning to Earth after a 16 day mission. My dad first told me about this tragedy while I was getting ready for celebrations of my 12th birthday, and I found it unbelievable but sad, because I still remembered the fateful liftoff and explosion of the Challenger space shuttle moments after liftoff on January 28. It should be noted that one of the crewmembers for the STS-107 mission that broke up during re-entry, Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli in space, served in the Israeli Air Force and flew one of the Israeli F-16s that took part in the air raid on the Osirak nuclear reactor in Iraq in June 1981.

[Harry Cover]

Saturday February 1, 2003. I was 21.  One of our last gatherings at my grandparents (father side) home.

As far as I can remember (the late 1980's) we had every year some joyful Sunday or Saturday lunches and gatherings with my father family: grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins... the food was plentiful to the extreme (everything in the lunch was cubed), and the mood usually joyful. There are strong characters and fast minds on my father side of the family plus my cousins were brats and pranksters - so it was never, ever boring.

That peculiar gathering however was kind of end of an era - as my grandparents were growing very old and would pass away in the late 2000's.

Still the mood and food were good as usual. And then one of my cousins turned the TV, and the Shuttle was burning up.

The coincidences in dates instantly hit me - I just couldn't believe it. So - Apollo 1 on January 27, Challenger 19 years... and 1 day later, and now Columbia adding to the bloody week - February 1.

I learned of the Jutland quote only much later - but damn, is it appropriate.