[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 19 (Monday, January 29, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       REMEMBERING ``APOLLO 1,'' ``CHALLENGER'' AND ``COLUMBIA''

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. LAMAR SMITH

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 29, 2018

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, ``Sometimes when we reach for the 
stars we fall short,'' as President Reagan said. This time of year is 
difficult for the space community as we remember the 17 courageous 
astronauts lost to tragic incidents.
  On January 27, 1967, Virgil Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee were 
performing tests of the Apollo 1 spacecraft at Cape Canaveral when a 
fire broke out. Desperate efforts to rescue them were too late.
  On January 28, 1986, a crew of seven lifted off aboard the space 
shuttle Challenger: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald 
McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis and teacher Christa McAuliffe. 
Seventy-three seconds after liftoff, all were lost when the Challenger 
exploded.
  On February 1, 2003, Pilot William McCool and Commander Rick Husband 
guided the space shuttle Columbia back into earth's atmosphere along 
with crewmembers Michael Anderson, Laurel Clark, David Brown, Kalpana 
Chawla and Ilan Ramon. The shuttle broke up during reentry, taking the 
lives of all on board.
  Let us remember these 17 brave pioneers ``who made the ultimate 
sacrifice so others could reach for the stars.''

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