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Showing posts with label space. Show all posts
Showing posts with label space. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Live Coverage: Atlas V SBIRS GEO Flight 5 Scheduled for 1:31pm Today



Watch live as ULA's Atlas V rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida from Space Launch Complex-41 with the SBIRS GEO Flight-5 mission for the U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Launch is scheduled for 1:31pm today. Broadcast is scheduled for 1:10pm Eastern Time.



You can also watch the launch with commentary from the folks at the citizen journalist NASA Spaceflight



Here is information on today's launch from Tory Bruno, the CEO of United Launch Alliance:




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Published at 12:35pm on Tuesday, May 18, 2021



Thursday, February 18, 2021

Live Coverage of Perseverence Rover Landing on Mars



The Perseverance Rover will be attempting a landing on Mars this afternoon and here are some resources to allow you to watch the event in realtime or to bookmark and return to later. After the event is over, video clips, images, and other information will be added to the end of the article. There are also resource to assist you in learning more about this mission. 

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Macon Media is being underwritten today by Franklin Health and Fitness, home of #ResultsForEveryone. Try FHF with a FREE 3-Day Guest Pass! To claim your pass, and to learn more about Franklin Health and Fitness, visit franklinhealthandfitness.com.





Mission Briefing from CBS 
(more background videos are posted below the live feeds)



NASA-TV



Mission Control Live: A 360 Degree Video
(can use VR Goggles or Google Cardboard)



Everyday Astronaut Hosted Stream
(Tim Dodd is a Citizen Journalist Who Covers Space)



PBS News Hour
(a restream of the NASA-TV Stream)



Background Information

Official NASA Website for the mission [MARS 2020]

Wikipedia has information about the flight in a format that is more easily accessed than the NASA website [Wikipedia]

The Insane Engineering of the Perseverance Rover



NASA’s Perseverance Mars Rover VS Curiosity - What's New? What's Improved?



Reserved For Additional Coverage After the Landing

Update #1 4:30pm

The landing was successful and they've had some images from one of the low-resolution engineering hazard cameras. The rover carries 23 different cameras, ranging from low resolution and specialized cameras to a 20 megapixel color camera that can take single shots and do panoramic shots.

Here are the first images:





Here is a short video from SciNews that recaps the landing



Macon Media will post more images and video as they come in. Until then, here is a video shot by Veritasium (a citizen journalist who focuses on science toipics) of the Ingeniuty Drone that will be flown on Mars as part of this mission.










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Published at 1:30pam on Thursday, February 18, 2021



Sunday, August 12, 2018

Live Coverage:
Parker Solar Probe August 12th Launch Attempt




The second launch attempt of the Delta-IV rocket carrying the Parker Solar Probe is planned for this morning from Space Launch Complex-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The forecast shows a 60 percent chance of favorable weather conditions for launch. The launch time is sometime between 3:30 am and 4:30 am EDT. Various websites give differing times. 
**2:54 am** The launch time they're shooting for is 3:31 am.

Live video players that do not archive the live webcast for replay will be removed or replaced with videos that show the launch attempt.

Live Video Sources (these video players, and others, will be added as webcasters go live)

Everyday Astronaut



Space Videos



Sky News

(live player will be added when the webcast begins)

NASA (will only show launch coverage for a limited time near the launch, multiple feeds may be added)




Here are some articles and videos that explain the history and purpose of the Parker Solar Probe and the man it is named after:

United Launch Alliance (this company makes the rocket that will carry the probe)



Scott Manley




SciShow



New York Times "NASA’s Parker Solar Probe Is Named for Him. 60 Years Ago, No One Believed His Ideas About the Sun." [LINK]

Parker Solar Probe website [LINK]

Wikipedia article on the Parker Solar Probe [LINK]

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If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online.


Published at 1:45 am on August 12, 2018

#MaconSpace #MaconScience #MaconLive

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Parker Solar Probe Launch
August 11th Launch Scrubbed

**4:28am, August12th** The second launch attempt was successful. [LINK]

______________________________________
**4:28am** They've scrubbed today's launch attempt and will try again tomorrow. Macon Media will put up another post to cover the new launch window.



NASA will be launching a probe to study the sun this morning and here are a few places where you can watch it happen, followed by information on the mission.


Everyday Astronaut A citizen journalist who follows launches




Sky News



Parker Solar Probe website http://parkersolarprobe.jhuapl.edu/

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parker_Solar_Probe

Space.com https://www.space.com/41438-parker-solar-probe-ready-to-launch.html





Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Live Coverage of SpaceX TESS Launch Attempt #2
Updated with Additional Video

update: The Launch was successful. The live player has been replaced by videos of the launch and other videos showing other angles have been added.







SpaceX is targeting launch of NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) on Wednesday, April 18 from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The 30-second launch window opens at 6:51 p.m. EDT, or 6:51 pm. TESS will be deployed into a highly elliptical orbit approximately 48 minutes after launch.

Following stage separation, SpaceX will attempt to land Falcon 9’s first stage on the “Of Course I Still Love You” droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Here is a video from Frasier Cain of Universe Today speaking about the purpose of the TESS spacecraft:



Check out the NASA website for the mission at https://tess.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Additional Video added after the launch:


NASA video of the launch




Launch from different angles



NASA Program on TESS








CROWDFUNDING OR DAY SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

If you receive value from what Macon Media provides to the community, please consider becoming a supporter and contribute at least a dollar a month.

If you have a business or event you are interested in sponsorship opportunities or underwriting coverage, send an email to editor@MaconMedia.com for more information. Serious inquiries only. Macon Media rewards early sponsors/underwriters with lifetime guaranteed low rates while newer sponsors/underwriters pay higher rates based on the date they first support Macon Media.

Thank You to the people who have been sending in donations and those businesses who are underwriting coverage of news and events. You have kept Macon Media online. You have made it possible for Macon Media to begin purchasing state of the art equipment and begin work on building a real website with features not employed by any local news outlets.

You can find out more information on how to do that and some of what I plan to accomplish if I reach certain levels of funding at https://www.patreon.com/MaconMedia





Friday, March 1, 2013

Private Company to Launch Second Supply Mission to the International Space Station Today

SpaceX Resupply Launch




The private spaceflight company SpaceX will launch an unmanned Dragon space capsule to the International Space Station today on it's second cargo delivery mission for NASA and you can follow the mission live via this video player or, if you have NASA TV on your Satellite or Cable System, you can watch there. For Roku Users, there is a NASA TV App that will allow you to watch the launch live also.

The live coverage begins at 8.30am on the NASA-TV Channel player above and the launch is supposed to take place at 10.10am. There will be a steady parade of people to speak about the various aspects of this mission.

The SpaceX people have a live blog 
(with video) of the launch that is scheduled to begin at 9.30am on their webpage, and they will be having a different lineup of guests to speak about the launch and mission of the spacecraft than NASA will.

Friday, February 15, 2013

JPL Live Coverage of Asteroid 2012 DA-214

 photo 2012da214_zpse718fbe7.jpg




Live coverage of the passage of Asteroid 2012 DA-214 via the Jet Propulsion Lab. The coverage will be silent and the asteroid will not appear as anything greater than a point of light because, after all it is only 150 feet across and more than 17,000 miles away. Background information on the asteroid is below.

Also, here is a statement from NASA regarding the asteroid that exploded over Russia this morning: "According to NASA scientists, the trajectory of the Russian meteorite was significantly different than the trajectory of the asteroid 2012 DA14, making it a completely unrelated object. Information is still being collected about the Russian meteorite and analysis is preliminary at this point. In videos of the meteor, it is seen to pass from left to right in front of the rising sun, which means it was traveling from north to south. Asteroid DA14's trajectory is in the opposite direction, from south to north."

2012 DA14 is a near-Earth asteroid with an estimated diameter of 50 meters (160 ft) and an estimated mass of 190,000 metric tons It was discovered on February 23, 2012, by the Observatorio Astronómico de La SagraGranada in Spain (J75) seven days after passing 0.0174 AU (1,620,000 mi) from Earth. Calculations show that on February 15, 2013, the distance between the asteroid and the center-point of Earth will be 0.0002276 AU (21,160 mi). The asteroid will pass 17,200 miles from the surface of Earth. This is a record close approach for a known object of this size

Source: Wikipedia


A video briefing by NASA on the asteroid passage.





Sunday, October 28, 2012

The Edge of Space

The Universe - Edge of Space

Edge of Space - incredible video touching on space diving, space tourism, and the issues and dangers involved in expanding our possibilities in orbit - for science, industry, and some amazing recreation.





Tuesday, September 4, 2012

SpaceVidCast 5.13:
Who should be interested in the cosmos?




See the wiki for more information on this episode.

Here is the latest show from my favorite citizen journalists who have a love and focus on all things space travel, the husband-wife team of Benjamin and Cariann Higginbotham.


If you enjoyed this show, make sure to check out Spacevidcast After Dark. A completely unscripted show that can talk about, well, anything! To view After Dark head over to Spacevidcast.com and open up the 5.13 episode. To view the show you'll need to be an epic subscriber which is just $10.00/mo and helps them continue to produce the show! In addition to the After Dark episodes you also get access to exclusive content! Check it out at www.spacevidcast.com/epic and help keep Spacevidcast going!


Find SpaceVidCast on the Internet:

Website


Twitter
Facebook




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Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Watch the Last Landing of the Discovery Live

Official poster for the STS-133 mission


After a successful last launch and mission to the International Space Station, the oldest surviving shuttle is coming in for her last landing today at the Kennedy Space Center, currently scheduled to happen just before noon.








STS-133 (ISS assembly flight ULF5) is the current mission in NASA's Space Shuttle program; during the mission, the shuttle docked with theInternational Space Station. It is the final planned mission of Space Shuttle Discovery, and was launched February 24, 2011. The crew consists of six American astronauts, all of whom had been on prior spaceflights, including Commander Steven Lindsey. The crew joined the long-duration six person crew of Expedition 26, who were already aboard the space station. About a month before lift-off, one of the original crew members, Tim Kopra, was injured in a bicycle accident. He was replaced by Stephen Bowen.
The mission transported several items to the space station, such as the Permanent Multipurpose Module Leonardo, which is to be left permanently docked to one of the station's ports. The shuttle also carried the third of four ExPRESS Logistics Carriers to the ISS, as well as a humanoid robot called Robonaut. The mission is the 39th and final flight of Discovery and the 133rd flight of the Space Shuttle program.
The mission was affected by a series of delays due to technical problems with the external tank and, to a lesser extent, the payload. The launch, initially scheduled for September 2010, was pushed back to October, then to November, then finally to February 2011.



Source: Wikipedia 


Here is my personal favorite photo of the Discovery:



The Discovery in orbit


Here are a few very well made video tributes to the Discovery:





















And here is a playlist from NASA TV of the entire STS-133 Mission:






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Thursday, January 27, 2011

NASA Day of Remembrance
The Columbia Crew

NASA Day of Remembrance


Each January, we honor the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews, as well as other members of the NASA family who lost their lives supporting NASA’s mission of exploration. We thank them and their families for their extraordinary sacrifices in the service of our nation. 


On this Day of Remembrance, as we remember our fallen heroes with tributes and public ceremonies, I will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Across the country, all flags at NASA Headquarters and the NASA centers will be flown at half-mast in their memory. 


Space exploration is a difficult and dangerous endeavor. We recognize these pioneers’ sacrifices each day with our ongoing commitment to safety. As an agency, we know the risks inherent in each mission. Ensuring the safety of our employees is our highest priority. 


The legacy of those we have lost is our ongoing work and the inspiration of generations of new space explorers. Every day, with each new challenge we overcome and every discovery we make, we honor these remarkable men and women. Please join me in working to fulfill their dreams for the future. 


Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
NASA Administrator


Link to Articles


Apollo One


Challenger


Columbia 

A tribute to the heroes of STS-107 Columbia





The Crew of the Columbia 
Seated in front are astronauts Rick D. Husband on the left, mission commander, Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist, and William C. McCool, pilot. Standing are, from the left, astronauts David M. Brown, Laurel B. Clark, and Michael P. Anderson, all mission specialists, and Ilan Ramon, payload specialist representing the Israeli Space Agency.



The Columbia breakup happened on Saturday, February 1, 2003. It disintegrated over Texas stretching from Trophy Club to Tyler and into parts of Louisiana during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven crew members, shortly before it was scheduled to conclude its 28th mission, STS-107.
The loss of Columbia was a result of damage sustained during launch when a piece of foam insulation the size of a small briefcase broke off the Space Shuttle external tank (the main propellant tank) under the aerodynamic forces of launch. The debris struck the leading edge of the left wing, damaging the Shuttle's thermal protection system (TPS), which protects it from heat generated with the atmosphere during re-entry. While Columbia was still in orbit, some engineers suspected damage, but NASA managers limited the investigation, on the grounds that little could be done even if problems were found. 


NASA's original Shuttle design specifications stated that the external tank was not to shed foam or other debris; as such, strikes upon the Shuttle itself were safety issues that needed to be resolved before a launch was cleared. Launches were often given the go-ahead as engineers came to see the foam shedding and debris strikes as inevitable and unresolvable, with the rationale that they were either not a threat to safety, or an acceptable risk. The majority of Shuttle launches recorded such foam strikes and thermal tile scarring. During re-entry of STS-107, the damaged area allowed the hot gases to penetrate and destroy the internal wing structure, rapidly causing the in-flight breakup of the vehicle. An extensive ground search in parts of Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas recovered crew remains and many vehicle fragments.




Initial NASA TV Coverage of Columbia Accident





Amateur video shot of the final moments of the Columbia


Cockpit video of the momets leading up to the destruction of the Columbia.





US Apache Helicopter crews were on a training mission with foreign pilots on the morning of February 1, 2003. Gun-camera footage picks up the shuttle as it enters the atmosphere over Central Texas. The footage was released a couple of days after the crash. Video is courtesy of Fort Hood and DOD.




An audio podcast discussion accompanied by photos of the Cloumbia breakup and recovery.







Here is a video playlist of live coverage of the accident and immediately thereafter by NASA, CNN and other TV Networks.

For more information regarding the Columbia accident, please visit these websites:





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NASA Day of Remembrance
The Challenger Crew

NASA Day of Remembrance

Each January, we honor the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews, as well as other members of the NASA family who lost their lives supporting NASA’s mission of exploration. We thank them and their families for their extraordinary sacrifices in the service of our nation. 

On this Day of Remembrance, as we remember our fallen heroes with tributes and public ceremonies, I will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Across the country, all flags at NASA Headquarters and the NASA centers will be flown at half-mast in their memory. 

Space exploration is a difficult and dangerous endeavor. We recognize these pioneers’ sacrifices each day with our ongoing commitment to safety. As an agency, we know the risks inherent in each mission. Ensuring the safety of our employees is our highest priority. 

The legacy of those we have lost is our ongoing work and the inspiration of generations of new space explorers. Every day, with each new challenge we overcome and every discovery we make, we honor these remarkable men and women. Please join me in working to fulfill their dreams for the future. 

Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
NASA Administrator

Link to Articles







A tribute to the heroes of STS-51L Challenger









The crew of the Challenger
Back row L to R  Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik 
Front row L to R Michael J Smith, Francis Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair


The Challenger Accident was different from the Apollo 1 Accident because it happened during the launch, and many people witnessed the explosion. I had stayed home from school in order to watch the launch because they had become so routine, there was no effort made by the school to allow students who were interested to watch them or integrate them into lesson plans.


Apparently, network television had the same idea about spaceflight becoming routine, because they did not cover the launch, and I did not have satellite TV so I couldn't watch it on the NASA Channel or even CNN, which was the only network to carry it live. (This was in the days before broadband Internet). So I was digging through the shortwave radio stations, trying to find one that was covering it when my dad called from work. He told me the shuttle had blown up. I didn't believe him at first because I thought he was teasing me, and he told me to cut the TV on and see. I did, and I saw.











Video courtesy: NASA


NASA documnetary detailing the events surrounding the loss of OV-099, Space Shuttle Challenger, shortly after the launch of the 25th flight of the Space Transportation System, Mission STS-51L, on 28 January, 1986, and the subsequent investigation into the loss of the vehicle and its crew of seven. The investigation shows that the Solid Rocket Booster field joints were of an insufficiently fault-tolerant design and when the vehicle was launched at below-normal temperatures, hot exhaust gasses leaked on ignition, damaging the integrity of the field joint, leading to a breach in the external tank and destruction of the orbiter.










This is a video of the live CNN broadcast of the launch, the only network to carry it live.












This is a live television feed of the accident that was involved in gathering B-Roll from the viewing stand for guests of NASA during the launch, including families of the crew.


Amateur Video of the Launch from Central Florida (ABC News)













Here are the unforgettable words of President Ronald Reagan memorializing the Challenger crew.


Transcript:




We come together today to mourn the loss of seven brave Americans, to share the grief we all feel and, perhaps in that sharing, to find the strength to bear our sorrow and the courage to look for the seeds of hope.
Our nation's loss is first a profound personal loss to the family and the friends and loved ones of our shuttle astronauts. To those they have left behind - the mothers, the fathers, the husbands and wives, brothers, sisters, and yes, especially the children - all of America stands beside you in your time of sorrow.


What we say today is only an inadequate expression of what we carry in our hearts. Words pale in the shadow of grief; they seem insufficient even to measure the brave sacrifice of those you loved and we so admired. Their truest testimony will not be in the words we speak, but in the way they led their lives and in the way they lost those lives - with dedication, honor and an unquenchable desire to explore this mysterious and beautiful universe.


The best we can do is remember our seven astronauts - our ChallengerSeven - remember them as they lived, bringing life and love and joy to those who knew them and pride to a nation.
They came from all parts of this great country - from South Carolina to Washington State; Ohio to Mohawk, New York; Hawaii to North Carolina to Concord, New Hampshire. They were so different, yet in their mission, their quest, they held so much in common.


We remember Dick Scobee, the commander who spoke the last words we heard from the space shuttle Challenger. He served as a fighter pilot in Vietnam, earning many medals for bravery, and later as a test pilot of advanced aircraft before joining the space program. Danger was a familiar companion to Commander Scobee.


We remember Michael Smith, who earned enough medals as a combat pilot to cover his chest, including the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals - and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star, in gratitude from a nation that he fought to keep free.
We remember Judith Resnik, known as J.R. to her friends, always smiling, always eager to make a contribution, finding beauty in the music she played on her piano in her off-hours.
We remember Ellison Onizuka, who, as a child running barefoot through the coffee fields and macadamia groves of Hawaii, dreamed of someday traveling to the Moon. Being an Eagle Scout, he said, had helped him soar to the impressive achievement of his career.


We remember Ronald McNair, who said that he learned perseverance in the cotton fields of South Carolina. His dream was to live aboard the space station, performing experiments and playing his saxophone in the weightlessness of space; Ron, we will miss your saxophone and we will build your space station.
We remember Gregory Jarvis. On that ill-fated flight he was carrying with him a flag of his university in Buffalo, New York - a small token he said, to the people who unlocked his future.


We remember Christa McAuliffe, who captured the imagination of the entire nation, inspiring us with her pluck, her restless spirit of discovery; a teacher, not just to her students, but to an entire people, instilling us all with the excitement of this journey we ride into the future.


We will always remember them, these skilled professionals, scientists and adventurers, these artists and teachers and family men and women, and we will cherish each of their stories - stories of triumph and bravery, stories of true American heroes.


On the day of the disaster, our nation held a vigil by our television sets. In one cruel moment, our exhilaration turned to horror; we waited and watched and tried to make sense of what we had seen. That night, I listened to a call-in program on the radio: people of every age spoke of their sadness and the pride they felt in `our astronauts.' Across America, we are reaching out, holding hands, finding comfort in one another.


The sacrifice of your loved ones has stirred the soul of our nation and, through the pain, our hearts have been opened to a profound truth - the future is not free, the story of all human progress is one of a struggle against all odds. We learned again that this America, which Abraham Lincoln called the last best hope of man on Earth, was built on heroism and noble sacrifice. It was built by men and women like our seven star voyagers, who answered a call beyond duty, who gave more than was expected or required, and who gave it with little thought to worldly reward.


We think back to the pioneers of an earlier century, and the sturdy souls who took their families and the belongings and set out into the frontier of the American West. Often, they met with terrible hardship. Along the Oregon Trail you can still see the grave markers of those who fell on the way. But grief only steeled them to the journey ahead.


Today, the frontier is space and the boundaries of human knowledge. Sometimes, when we reach for the stars, we fall short. But we must pick ourselves up again and press on despite the pain. Our nation is indeed fortunate that we can still draw on immense reservoirs of courage, character and fortitude - that we are still blessed with heroes like those of the space shuttle Challenger.


Dick Scobee knew that every launching of a space shuttle is a technological miracle. And he said, if something ever does go wrong, I hope that doesn't mean the end to the space shuttle program. Every family member I talked to asked specifically that we continue the program, that that is what their departed loved one would want above all else. We will not disappoint them.


Today, we promise Dick Scobee and his crew that their dream lives on; that the future they worked so hard to build will become reality. The dedicated men and women of NASA have lost seven members of their family. Still, they too, must forge ahead, with a space program that is effective, safe and efficient, but bold and committed.


Man will continue his conquest of space. To reach out for new goals and ever greater achievements - that is the way we shall commemorate our seven Challenger heroes.


Dick, Mike, Judy, El, Ron, Greg and Christa - your families and your country mourn your passing. We bid you goodbye. We will never forget you. For those who knew you well and loved you, the pain will be deep and enduring. A nation, too, will long feel the loss of her seven sons and daughters, her seven good friends. We can find consolation only in faith, for we know in our hearts that you who flew so high and so proud now make your home beyond the stars, safe in God's promise of eternal life.


May God bless you all and give you comfort in this difficult time.














A performance of the song written by John Denver in tribute to the crew of the Challenger. He was originally considered for the flight and underwent training before a teacher was selected.


I still think it is a good idea to send gifted artists into space so that they might use their talents to share with the rest of humanity what it is like.












Here is a discussion on the findings of the Presidential Commision that was broadcast on satellite TV Worldnet. 


For more information on the Challenger accident, please visit the following websites:


Report of the PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident


NASA webpage of links to information on the Challenger accident












TV Coverage of the Challenger Accident (54 videos encompassing several hours of archived live video)




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NASA Day of Remembrance
The Apollo 1 Crew

NASA Day of Remembrance


Each January, we honor the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews, as well as other members of the NASA family who lost their lives supporting NASA’s mission of exploration. We thank them and their families for their extraordinary sacrifices in the service of our nation.


On this Day of Remembrance, as we remember our fallen heroes with tributes and public ceremonies, I will take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Across the country, all flags at NASA Headquarters and the NASA centers will be flown at half-mast in their memory.


Space exploration is a difficult and dangerous endeavor. We recognize these pioneers’ sacrifices each day with our ongoing commitment to safety. As an agency, we know the risks inherent in each mission. Ensuring the safety of our employees is our highest priority.


The legacy of those we have lost is our ongoing work and the inspiration of generations of new space explorers. Every day, with each new challenge we overcome and every discovery we make, we honor these remarkable men and women. Please join me in working to fulfill their dreams for the future.


Charles F. Bolden, Jr.
NASA Administrator







A tribute to the heroes of Apollo 1



The heroes of Apollo 1 who were killed in a fire on the launchpad during a test 
Edward White, Command Pilot
Virgil Gus Grissom, Commander
Roger Chaffee, Pilot


January 27, 1967.


That date doesn't mean anything significant to most Americans. On that day, three men died in the service of our nation as they conducted a routine test on their command capsule. Much has been written about that day and these men. I cannot add anything substantial to what has gone before, so I will just point to what I think were the best attempts to explain what happened, and to remember these men who died on our journey to the Moon.





A video tribute to the crew of Apollo 1.


On January 27, 1967, tragedy struck the Apollo program when a flash fire occurred in command module 012 during a launch pad test of the Apollo/Saturn space vehicle being prepared for the first piloted flight, the AS-204 mission. Three astronauts, Lt. Col. Virgil I. Grissom, a veteran of Mercury and Gemini missions; Lt. Col. Edward H. White, the astronaut who had performed the first United States extravehicular activity during the Gemini program; and Roger B. Chaffee, an astronaut preparing for his first space flight, died in this tragic accident.


A seven-member board, under the direction of the NASA Langley Research Center Director, Dr. Floyd L. Thompson, conducted a comprehensive investigation to pinpoint the cause of the fire. The final report, completed in April 1967 was subsequently submitted to the NASA Administrator. The report presented the results of the investigation and made specific recommendations that led to major design and engineering modifications, and revisions to test planning, test discipline, manufacturing processes and procedures, and quality control. With these changes, the overall safety of the command and service module and the lunar module was increased substantially. The AS-204 mission was redesignated Apollo I in honor of the crew.






This is an audio recording of the actual last moments of the crew of Apollo 1, with commentary and a play by play of the initial accident investigation.







This is a dramatization of the tragic event, as presented during the "From the Earth to the Moon" miniseries on HBO.

For more information on this accident, please visit the following webpages:

Apollo 1 Memorial Foundation

National Space Data Center Apollo 1 page


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