NASA remembers trio of tragedies
Near the end of January every year , NASA has a Day of Remembrance to mark the solemn anniversaries of three of its most stunning tragedies . The first occurred on Jan . 27 , 1967 , during a pre-flight test for the Apollo 1 mission that had been slated to launch Feb . 21 , 1967 . Astronauts Virgil “ Gus ” Grissom , Edward White and Roger Chaffee were inside the spacecraft as it sat on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral . Several hours and several problems into their launch rehearsal , a fire suddenly broke out in the spacecraft . Within seconds , the fire spread throughout the cabin and filled the space with a lethal mixture of carbon monoxide , smoke and fumes . Because the hatch door could only open inward , a feat made impossible by the high pressure inside the cabin , escape attempts were thwarted , and all three astronauts perished . The resulting investigation led to significant changes in the command module and launch pad procedures . These included a new quick-operating hatch design that opened outward ; the use of an oxygen-nitrogen mix rather than 100 percent oxygen in the launch pad cabin atmosphere ; a major reduction in flammable materials inside the spacecraft ; and the addition of protective insulation to plumbing and wiring . Manned Apollo flights resumed in October 1968 . Almost 20 years after the Apollo 1 fire , tragedy rocked NASA again when on Jan . 28 , 1986 , the Space Shuttle Challenger broke up after liftoff killing all seven crew members . On launch day , media hype was high and classrooms across the nation were tuned in to watch live as the first teacher-astronaut , Christa McAuliffe , journeyed into space on the inaugural mission in NASA ’ s new Teacher in Space program . Just 73 seconds after liftoff , spectators at the site and around the world watched in horror as the shuttle broke up in a plume of smoke and fire . In addition to McAuliffe , those killed were Francis “ Dick ” Scobee , Ron McNair , Michael Smith , Ellison Onizuka , Judy Resnik and Greg Jarvis . Subsequent investigations concluded that the disaster was caused when an O-ring seal on the right solid rocket booster failed in the unusually frigid temperatures on the morning of the launch . The shuttle program resumed in 1988 . The shuttle program once again faced disaster on Feb . 1 , 2003 , when the Space Shuttle Columbia was returning from a 16-day micro-gravity research mission . During re-entry , the shuttle disintegrated leaving its seven crew members deceased and a debris field spread across Texas and Louisiana . Those who perished in the devastating accident were U . S . astronauts Rick Husband , Willie McCool , Michael Anderson , Kalpana Chawla , David Brown and Laurel Clark ; and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon . On Jan . 16 , 2003 , Columbia set off on its 28th mission . During liftoff , a piece of insulating foam on the external fuel tank broke off and hit the shuttle ’ s left wing . Investigations following the accident determined that when the wayward foam struck the wing it caused a breach in the thermal protection that ultimately led to the spacecraft ’ s destruction . Although these horrifying incidents occurred decades apart , they share a common legacy . Each was more than a grim reminder of the dangers of space exploration . Instead , they galvanized NASA to improve and drove the agency to persevere in its noble pursuit to discover the secrets of space .
4
COURTESY OF NASA
Apollo 1 crew members , from left , Gus Grissom , Edward White and Roger Chaffee stand near Cape Kennedy ’ s Launch Complex 34 during training in January 1967 .
COURTESY OF NASA
In this photo from Jan . 9 , 1986 , the Challenger crew takes a break during countdown training at NASA ’ s Kennedy Space Center . Pictured from left are teacher-in-space Christa McAuliffe , Greg Jarvis , Judy Resnik , Francis “ Dick ” Scobee , Ron McNair , Michael Smith and Ellison Onizuka .
COURTESY OF NASA
STS-107 crew members pose for their traditional in-flight crew portrait aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia . From the left on the bottom row are Kalpana Chawla , Rick Husband , Laurel Clark and Ilan Ramon . From the left on the top row are David Brown , Willie McCool and Michael Anderson .
Sky ’ s Up