NASA HONORS FALLEN HEROES

NASA AMES HONORS FALLEN HEROES, UNVEILS COLUMBIA MEMORABILIA


MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. -- To honor the astronauts and brave members of the
NASA family who gave their lives in the pursuit of space exploration and
service to our nation, NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.,
will will hold a Day of Remembrance Ceremony in the Ames Exploration
Center on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013.


The Exploration Center also will unveil an exhibit to pay tribute to NASA
Astronaut and STS-107 space shuttle Columbia Mission Specialist, Kalpana
Chawla, a friend and colleague to the Ames community during her tenure as
an astronaut candidate.


Ames employees and ceremony participants are invited to hear remarks from
Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden, see a presentation about Chawla by
former Ames colleagues, see a video featuring Columbia, and observe a
moment of silence. Across the country, flags at NASA Headquarters in
Washington and the NASA field centers will be flown at half-mast in memory
of the colleagues lost in the cause of exploration.


The Columbia memorabilia exhibit features Chawla's personal belongings,
items and awards associated with her career at NASA, and will be open to
the public through March 25, 2013.


Reporters interested in participating must contact Rachel Hoover at
rachel.hoover@nasa.gov or 650-604-4789 by 5 p.m. PST, Thursday, Jan. 31,
2013.


Schedule of events for Friday, Feb. 1, 2013 (all times PST)
- 10 a.m.: Exploration Center doors open
- 10:15 a.m.: Opening remarks by Ames Center Director S. Pete Worden
- 10:25 a.m.: Moment of Silence
- 10:30 a.m.: Presentation about NASA Astronaut and Columbia mission
specialist, Kalpana Chawla
- 10:40 a.m.: Columbia video
- 10:45 a.m.: Memorabilia exhibit unveiling


The program featuring the video, exhibit, and presentations about Chawla
will repeat at 4 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The Exploration
Center closes at 6 p.m.


NASA's Exploration Center is the large white dome located at the main gate
of NASA's Ames Research Center. To reach NASA Ames, take U.S. Highway 101
to the Moffett Field, NASA Parkway exit and drive east on Moffett
Boulevard towards the main gate and bear right into the parking lot.


A decade has passed since the loss of the crew of space shuttle Columbia
on Feb. 1, 2003 just minutes before landing. More than 40 years ago, on
Jan. 27, 1967, the crew of Apollo 1 perished in a terrible fire. And
nearly 30 years ago, on Jan. 28, 1986, the crew of space shuttle
Challenger died less than two minutes after launch.


A wreath-laying ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space
Center Visitor Complex, hosted by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation will
be broadcast live on NASA Television starting 7 a.m. PST Friday, Feb. 1,
2013.