January/Febuary - a rough time to be a NASA Astronaut

[D_B]

January 27 1967 ...
Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee, died in a ground test of the Apollo 1 capsule

January 28 1986 ...
Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ron McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and school teacher Christa McAuliffe, died when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just after liftoff

Febuary 1 2003 ...
Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, died when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke up on re-entry (who can forget watching the film of the crew from in the cabin during the re-entry, found in the crash debries)

I remember them .............................................. ​

... I give thanks to all the people that put their lives on the line ... to go and see, to explore, to take us along with them so we can somehow be a part of it ...

:salute:

 

[fisheyeview]

Sadly, I rememder all of these.

 

[Skull]

Its interesting that you make this observation here and now...first and foremost these Astronauts are true legends, heros and exployers. I distrinctly remember January 28, 1986 while working on my senior project in the electronics lab in college. Truly a sobering day for an freshly minted engineer and for all Americans who love science and exploration. Now overlay these heros and their accomplishments with those who hate progress namely throwbacks in the name of religion... we as a species have a very long way to go!

We need to always remember the courage, dedication and desire these great humans made for the improvement life for everyone.

 

[cudachaser]

I was working in the Firing Room when Challenger went down...Emotionally it took me over a year to get over it

Joe

 

[D_B]

January 27 1967 ...
Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee, died in a ground test of the Apollo 1 capsule

January 28 1986 ...
Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ron McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and school teacher Christa McAuliffe, died when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just after liftoff

Febuary 1 2003 ...
Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, died when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke up on re-entry (who can forget watching the film of the crew from in the cabin during the re-entry, found in the crash debries)

I remember them .............................................. ​

... I give thanks to all the people that put their lives on the line ... to go and see, to explore, to take us along with them so we can somehow be a part of it ...

:salute:

quote:

I remember them .............................................. ​

... I give thanks to all the people that put their lives on the line ... to go and see, to explore, to take us along with them so we can somehow be a part of it ...

 

[D_B]

January 27 1967 ...
Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee, died in a ground test of the Apollo 1 capsule

January 28 1986 ...
Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ron McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and school teacher Christa McAuliffe, died when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just after liftoff

Febuary 1 2003 ...
Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, died when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke up on re-entry (who can forget watching the film of the crew from in the cabin during the re-entry, found in the crash debries)

I remember them .............................................. ​

... I give thanks to all the people that put their lives on the line ... to go and see, to explore, to take us along with them so we can somehow be a part of it ...

:salute:

Worthy of reposting, and remembering

 

[D_B]

Kennedy's Speech ...

" I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us. But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, re-entering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun--almost as hot as it is here today--and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out--then we must be bold." ... John F Kennedy , Address to Rice University 1962.
　
I think this is his address to Congress ...
" We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skil...ls, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."

" We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours."


The above is remarkable and almost seems imposable to imagine such a speech today, and the almost universal support that he garnered

 

[D_B]

January 27 1967 ...
Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee, died in a ground test of the Apollo 1 capsule ... Mission AS-204 - renaimed Apollo 1 to honor their sacrifice
The NASA report to the Senate on the cause and recommendations ... REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES UNITED STATES SENATE WITH ADDITIONAL VIEWS, January 30, 1968

January 28 1986 ...
Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ron McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and school teacher Christa McAuliffe, died when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just after liftoff

Febuary 1 2003 ...
Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, David Brown, Laurel Clark and Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon, died when the Space Shuttle Columbia broke up on re-entry (who can forget watching the film of the crew from in the cabin during the re-entry, found in the crash debries)

I remember you.............................................. ​

... I give thanks to all the people that put their lives on the line ... to go and see, to explore, to learn, and to take us along with them so we can somehow be a part of it all ...

:salute:

Kennedy's Speech ...

" I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us. But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, re-entering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun--almost as hot as it is here today--and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out--then we must be bold." ... John F Kennedy , Address to Rice University 1962.
　
I think this is his address to Congress ...
" We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skil...ls, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too."

" We set sail on this new sea because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must be won and used for the progress of all people. For space science, like nuclear science and all technology, has no conscience of its own. Whether it will become a force for good or ill depends on man, and only if the United States occupies a position of pre-eminence can we help decide whether this new ocean will be a sea of peace or a new terrifying theater of war. I do not say the we should or will go unprotected against the hostile misuse of space any more than we go unprotected against the hostile use of land or sea, but I do say that space can be explored and mastered without feeding the fires of war, without repeating the mistakes that man has made in extending his writ around this globe of ours."


The above is remarkable and almost seems imposable to imagine such a speech today, and the almost universal support that he garnered

 

[D_B]

January 27 1967 ...
Virgil "Gus" Grissom, Edward White and Roger Chaffee, died in a ground test of the Apollo 1 capsule ... Mission AS-204 - renaimed Apollo 1 to honor their sacrifice
The NASA report to the Senate on the cause and recommendations ... REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON AERONAUTICAL AND SPACE SCIENCES UNITED STATES SENATE WITH ADDITIONAL VIEWS, January 30, 1968

:salute:

 

[D_B]

Today, January 28 1986 ... Mission STS-51L Challenger
Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ron McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis and school teacher Christa McAuliffe, all lost their lives when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just after liftoff



CREW, clockwise from top-left.

Ellison Onizuka: Air Force Veteran and first Asian American in space as a member of STS-51-C. He held a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from U Colorado at Boulder.

Christa McAuliffe: Winner of the teacher in space contest from Concord NH (My home). Bachelors in Education and History from Framingham State College and Master of Arts from Bowie State University.

Gregory Jarvis: Air Force veteran with a Masters in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University, Boston MA. This was to be his first space flight.

Judith Resnik: PHD in Electrical Engineering from U Maryland and Veteran of Shuttle Mission STS-41-D.

Ronald McNair: Physicist from MIT, Black Belt Karate instructor and Veteran of STS-41-B whose mission was delivery of two Hughes 376 communication satellites as well as first use of the Manned Maneuvering Unit and first use of the Canada Arm which was operated by McNair himself.

Dick Scobee: Veteran of the AirForce, Aerospace research pilot, BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Arizona and Shuttle Mission STS-41-C.

Michael Smith: NAVY Pilot, and Flight Instructor. He attended US Naval Post-Grad at Monterey CA. This was to be his 1st space flight.
:salute:



We need NASA be bold , push the boundaries , expand the envelope , even in knowing that some have put their lives on the line, and have lost them , learn from it, and continue to push ... to do anything less than that does a disservice to those that gave their lives doing just that.
... For those that are not bold in their endeavors, only content with with your timid attempts ... history has no record of you, for you have achieved nothing and are soon forgotten