NASA will celebrate its annual Day of Remembrance on Thursday, January 23, to honor the members of the NASA family who have sacrificed their lives in exploration and discovery for the benefit of humanity. The event, traditionally held on the fourth Thursday of January each year, honors the crews of Apollo 1 and the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.

“On NASA’s Day of Remembrance, we pause to reflect on the bravery, dedication and selflessness of the extraordinary people who pushed the boundaries of exploration and discovery,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free. “Their legacy reminds us of the great responsibility we have to fulfill their dreams while ensuring safety remains our guiding principle.”

Freeh will lead a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia at 1 p.m. ET, beginning with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, followed by commemorations for the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia crews .

Some agency centers will also host NASA Day of Remembrance events:

Johnson Space Center in Houston

NASA Johnson will be commemorated at 10 a.m. CT at the Astronaut Memorial Grove, with remarks by center director Vanessa Wyche. The event will feature a moment of silence, a flyby by a NASA T-38 aircraft, a tap performance by the Texas A&M Squadron 17, and a procession placing wreaths at the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia memorial trees.

Kennedy Space Center, Florida

The NASA JFK and Astronaut Memorial Foundation will host a ceremony at 10 a.m. ET in the Space Mirror Memorial Hall at the Kennedy Visitor Center. Tal Ramon, son of Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon aboard Space Shuttle Columbia, will speak at the event.

NASA Kennedy Associate Administrator Kelvin Manning will also speak at the ceremony, which will be livestreamed on the center's Facebook page.

Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California

A memorial ceremony will be held at NASA Ames Center at 1 p.m. PST, which will include a message from Center Director Eugene Tu, a moment of silence, and the ringing of memorial bells.

cleveland glen research center

NASA Glenn will commemorate the anniversary at 1 p.m. ET, with remarks from Center Director Jimmy Kenyon, followed by a wreath laying, a moment of silence and a pat on the back at Lewis Field.

Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia

NASA Langley will hold a memorial ceremony with Acting Center Director Dawn Schaible, followed by the planting of the flag at the Langley Worker Memorial.

Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama

NASA Marshall will hold a candlelight ceremony and lay a wreath at 9:30 a.m. Central Time. Larry Leopard, deputy director of the Marshall Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, and Bill Hill, director of the Marshall Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, will deliver remarks at the ceremony.

Stennis Space Flight Center in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

NASA Stennis and the NASA Shared Services Center will host a wreath-laying ceremony at 9 a.m. Central Standard Time, with remarks from Center Director John Bailey and NASA Shared Services Center Executive Director Anita Harrell .

The agency also honors fallen astronauts with special online content, updated on NASA Day of Remembrance, at:

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Abby Donaldson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov