NASA’s Day of Remembrance honors fallen heroes of exploration

HUNTSVILLE — The Marshall Space Flight Center will join NASA headquarters and other centers Thursday in marking the annual Day of Remembrance.

The ceremonies honor the members of the NASA family who lost their lives in the pursuit of exploration and discovery for benefit of humanity. The event, traditionally held every year on the fourth Thursday of January, remembers the crews of Apollo 1 and the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.

At the Marshall Center in Huntsville, there will be a candle-lighting ceremony and wreath placement at 9:30 a.m. The ceremony will include remarks from Associate Director Larry Leopard and Bill Hill, director of Marshall’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance.

“On NASA’s Day of Remembrance, we pause to reflect on the bravery, dedication, and selflessness of the extraordinary individuals who pushed the boundaries of exploration and discovery,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free. “Their legacies remind us of the profound responsibility we have to carry their dreams forward while ensuring safety remains our guiding principle.”

Free will lead an observance at 1 p.m. EST at  Arlington National Cemetery, 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.

Other observances for the NASA Day of Remembrance:

• Johnson Space Center in Houston
  JSC will hold a commemoration at 10 a.m. CST at the Astronaut Memorial Grove with remarks by Center Director Vanessa Wyche. 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
  The Kennedy Center and the Astronauts Memorial Foundation will host a ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial at Kennedy’s Visitor Complex at 10 a.m. EST. The event will include remarks from Tal Ramon, son of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, space shuttle Columbia.
  Kelvin Manning, deputy director at NASA Kennedy, also will provide remarks during the ceremony, which will livestream on the center’s Facebook page.
• Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley
  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.
• Glenn Research Center in Cleveland
  Glenn will observe Day of Remembrance at 1 p.m. EST on Jan. 28, with remarks from Center Director Jimmy Kenyon followed by wreath placement, moment of silence, and taps at Lewis Field.
• Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va.
  Langley will hold a remembrance ceremony with Acting Center Director Dawn Schaible followed by placing flags at the Langley Workers Memorial.
• Stennis Space Flight Center in Bay St. Louis, Miss.
  Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center will hold a wreath-laying ceremony at 9 a.m. CST with remarks from Center Director John Bailey and Anita Harrell, NASA Shared Services Center executive director.