NASA marks 20 years since space shuttle Columbia disaster
NASA marked the 20th anniversary of the space shuttle Columbia tragedy with somber ceremonies and remembrances during its annual tribute to fallen astronauts on Thursday.
More than 100 people gathered under a gray sky at Kennedy Space Center to remember not only Columbia’s crew of seven, but the 18 other astronauts killed in the line of duty.
NASA’s two shuttle accidents account for more than half of the names carved into the black granite of the Space Mirror Memorial; plane crashes are to blame for the rest.
Columbia was destroyed during reentry on Feb. 1, 2003, after a piece of fuel-tank foam came off and punctured the left wing during liftoff 16 days earlier. The shuttle broke apart over Texas, just 16 minutes from its planned Florida touchdown.
NASA managers dismissed the impact during the flight despite the concerns of others.
That same kind of cultural blunder led to the loss of shuttle Challenger during liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986, killing all seven aboard, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.
The Apollo 1 launch pad fire claimed three astronauts’ lives on Jan. 27, 1967.
Because of the clustering of these three dates,
NASA sets aside the last Thursday of every January to commemorate its fallen astronauts.
At space centers across the country, flags were lowered to half-staff, with ceremonies held along with spaceflight safety discussions.
Like NASA’s earlier tragedies, Columbia’s loss was avoidable, said former shuttle commander Bob Cabana, now NASA’s associate administrator.
“When we look back, why do we have to keep repeating the same hard lessons?” he said. “I don’t ever want to have to go through another Columbia.”
A ship’s bell pealed after each of the 25 names were read as the ceremony drew to a close.