Every year on NASA’s Day of Remembrance, the agency pauses to honor the sacrifice of the NASA family members who gave their lives to advance the cause of exploration. Employees remember friends and colleagues, including the crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.  

A key element in observances across the agency centers on lessons learned from each tragedy and the importance of embracing NASA’s core value of safety. 

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, and Associate Administrator Jim Free led a virtual agencywide Day of Remembrance Safety Town Hall on Jan. 23. In a dialogue with employees, the leaders highlighted how NASA safety is the cornerstone to achieving mission success. 

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, left, and NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, right, lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetary in Arlington, Virginia, as part of NASA’s Day of Remembrance.

Credit: NASA/Keegan Barber

Center Director Dr. Jimmy Kenyon and Deputy Director Dawn Schaible led NASA Glenn Research Center’s Day of Remembrance observance in Cleveland. While at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Schaible worked on payload recovery efforts for Columbia and helped get the space shuttle back in flight. She shared how these experiences affected her and shaped her NASA career. 

NASA Glenn Research Center Deputy Director Dawn Schaible addresses employees during NASA Glenn’s Day of Remembrance Observance.

Credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna

Schaible stressed the importance of communication and the threat of compliancy. She explained that all jobs have potential hazards to employees and others. Schaible called on employees to take the time to pause, listen, and ask questions during their daily activities