By Dr. Samuel Garcia

This past week, NASA paid tribute to the crew members of space shuttle Columbia, as well as other astronauts who have perished in the line of duty, during NASA’s Annual Day of Remembrance. The center’s senior management and guests attended the ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Jan. 26, 2023.
the agency’s Annual Day of Remembrance at Kennedy Space Center
“In a community that frequently commemorates the milestones and achievements made possible through the teamwork and contributions of so many, today is a different kind of observance, a day to recognize and honor those who lost their lives in pursuit of knowledge, and those losses are heavy,” said Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro.
NASA and the world lost seven brave explorers twenty years ago, on Feb. 1, 2003, when shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry. Crew members aboard were Rick D. Husband, mission commander; William C. McCool, pilot; Michael P. Anderson, payload commander; Kalpana Chawla and Laurel B. Clark, mission specialists; and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist from the Israeli Space Agency.
Columbia launched on Jan. 16, 2003, at 10:39 a.m. EST from Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A, carrying the seven astronauts. The shuttle’s payload bay contained the first Spacehab Research Double Module. The 16-day mission was dedicated to a mix of life and physical sciences. On Feb. 1, 2003, during a descent for landing at Kennedy at an altitude of 203,000 feet over north central Texas, a breach in the thermal protection system on Columbia’s left wing resulted in the loss of the vehicle and crew.
“This year marks the 20th anniversary of the loss of the crew of Columbia during re-entry of STS-107,” Petro said. “For some, that seems like a lifetime. For others, it may seem like a moment. But for our agency, it’s a time that lives here in the present–shaping our culture, informing our decisions, and helping us forge the way ahead.”
Each January NASA pauses to honor members of the NASA family who lost their lives while furthering the cause of exploration and discovery, including the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.
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