Reflections on Spaceflight and Memory

For these concerned or concerned with human spaceflight, the last week of January is a solemn time of remembrance. Three astronaut crews perished between 1967 and 2003 in horrific accidents that might have been prevented. The Apollo 1 three-man crew died in a flash hearth of their house capsule throughout a launch countdown test on January 27, 1967. The seven-member crew of Area Shuttle mission STS 51-L, Challenger’s last flight, died simply 73 seconds into their ascent on January 28 1986. And Columbia’s last seven-member crew died on February 1, 2003, simply 16 minutes from touchdown to finish their 16-day STS-107 mission. Both of the shuttles disintegrated in flight. The Area Shuttle Columbia touches down at Edwards Air Drive Base, Calif., to conclude the first orbital shuttle mission, 1981. Credit score: NASA Armstrong Flight Analysis Heart. These three tragedies are to this point the most seen and electrifying incidents in the historical past of U.S.

Different astronauts and technicians have died on responsibility, one or two at a time, in aircraft crashes and floor assist actions with much less public discover. This human toll is a reminder that the hazards of spaceflight are ruthless when security is compromised. Remembering these losses is a hedge towards complacency. Museums preserve and show objects to preserve the memory of historic events and people who left their mark, setting a stage for guests to experience the past. However memory is neither static nor universally shared