This Week in Space 195

This month marks a bitter annual anniversary for NASA. On February 1, 1967, the crew of Apollo 1 was killed in a horrific fire on the pad in Florida. Years later, as the space shuttle Challenger ascended on February 28, 1986, it was destroyed mid-flight with a loss of seven crewmembers. Finally, on February 1, 2003, the shuttle Columbia was lost during reentry, again with a crew of seven. This episode is a remembrance of these tragic events with Gerry Griffin, former Apollo Flight Director and Director of the Johnson Space Center among his many other roles with NASA and beyond. Gerry brings a personal touch to these events, describing the experiences first-hand and lessons learned. Please join us for this very special episode.

Headlines:

• NASA Artemis 2 Testing and Launch Delayed by Cold Weather
• Crew 12 Launch Schedule Impacted by Artemis II Slip
• New Artemis Launch Windows and Associated Challenges
• Countdown to NASA’s Next Moonshot: Updated Flight Timelines

Main Topic: Remembering NASA’s Worst Tragedies and Lessons Learned

• Apollo 1 Fire: Causes, Team Reaction, and Aftermath
• Transition from Gemini to Apollo: Organizational and Technical Shifts
• Challenger Disaster: Technical Failures, Team Dynamics, and Impact
• Shuttle Safety Evolution and Lessons from Columbia
• The Resolve and Spirit of NASA Teams After Tragedy
• Evolving Risk Management and Decision-Making in Human Spaceflight
• Reflections and Advice for Today’s Flight Directors as Artemis II Flight Approaches

Download or subscribe to This Week in Space at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space.

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Links

• NASA delays critical Artemis 2 rocket fueling test due to below-freezing temperatures, launch no earlier than Feb. 8
• Gerald D. Griffin
• Project Gemini
• Jan. 27, 1967: The Apollo 1 fire
• The Challenger STS-51L Accident
• Space Shuttle Challenger O-Ring Failure Diagram
• Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
• Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster