On Jan. 23, 2024, NASA officials, along with colleagues and family members, came to Arlington National Cemetery for the annual NASA Day of Remembrance, honoring those astronauts who bravely served and sacrificed. Traditionally held on the fourth Thursday in January, the NASA Day of Remembrance commemorates the crews of Apollo 1 and Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia—all of whom are honored with monuments at ANC. The timing of the annual remembrance reflects the anniversaries of the three disasters, occurred between Jan. 27 and Feb. 1.
After laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, NASA’s Acting Administrator, Janet Pedro, and astronaut Kayla Barron led the group to the Space Shuttle Challenger and Columbia Memorials, where they laid two more wreaths. The Challenger exploded soon after liftoff on Jan. 26, 1986, while the Columbia broke up during reentry on Feb. 1, 2003. Pedro spoke of the shuttle astronauts who gave their lives in pursuit of space exploration. “Let’s carry their spirits forward as we continue in that pursuit,” she said, before a moment of silence.
Two members of the Israeli Embassy also laid a wreath at the Columbia Memorial in honor of Ilan Ramon, a payload specialist onboard the Columbia and the first Israeli citizen to travel to space. One of the wreath layers, Israeli Air Force Maj. Aviram Behar, had served in the same squadron as Ramon. “It’s every pilot’s dream to become an astronaut,” he said, “so this was very emotional.” Two attendees draped a lei over the memorial to honor Columbia pilot Cmdr. William McCool, who lived in Guam for several years in his youth, when his father, a Navy pilot, was stationed on the island.
The group then laid a wreath at the Apollo 1 Memorial and placed flowers at the headstones of Apollo 1 astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom and Roger B. Chaffee, both of whom died when fire swept through their capsule during a pre-launch test on Jan. 27, 1967. These early pioneers of the space program “continue to inspire the explorers of today,” Pedro said. “Their legacy will continue as we continue our space exploration efforts.”
Many astronauts are buried or commemorated at ANC. Our education module, “Explorers: Earth, Air, and Space,” offers learning tools to understand the Challenger and Columbia disasters. Lesson plans teach students to analyze opinion pieces related to Challenger and Columbia, in order to consider how news events can be interpreted in different ways. Other materials include a walking tour and readings. Click here to learn more!