The official NASA timeline of the events can be found here.

The explosion of the STS-51L vehicle claimed the lives of 7 astronauts:

• Francis "Dick" Scobee
• Michael J. Smith
• Judith A. Resnik
• Ellison S. Onizuka
• Ronald E. McNair
• Gregory B. Jarvis
• S. Christa McAuliffe

I remember that day well. I was heading in to college to begin a terminal room consulting shift when my mom called me to let me know that something had happened to the Shuttle. Shuttle flights had become routine for the public at this point -- I'm reminded of the scene in Apollo 13 when the networks cut away from the astronaut's live broadcast because the moon landings had become old news.

I also remember the scene where Richard Feynman pulled out an o-ring that he had put in a clamp and soaked in ice-water to roughly simulate the conditions that the solid rocket boosters had been in right before launch. It was a prime example of simple solid science winning out over complex political maneuvering.

Spend a moment today remembering these people.

10:45:16 AM    comments ()  trackback []  

Yesterday was the 37th anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire that took the lives of three astronauts:

• Virgil "Gus" Grissom
• Edward H. White II
• Roger B. Chaffee

It also begins the week that has been historically the worst in the history of NASA.

The official story of what happened on Apollo 204 (later christened Apollo 1 in honor of the astronauts) can be found here.

The actual location of the fire is part of the "NASA, Then and Now" tour at Kennedy Space Center. What is left is the giant concrete platform that supported the rocket, and a big metal blast shield that was never used.

The tour didn't always stop at the site, it was a forgotten location, overgrown with brush. Finally a group of people decided that it needed to be commemorated somehow, and a work party was assembled to clear the brush, and a brass plaque was commissioned to be mounted on the concrete pad support.

After the brush was cleared and the plaque mounted, it was discovered that a smaller plaque had already been mounted on the support. According to the tour guide, no one has come forward to take credit for the smaller plaque.

10:16:36 AM    comments ()  trackback []