NASA remembers its astronauts

NASA paused yesterday to remember 17 astronauts lost in the line of duty.

The Day of Remembrance takes on special meaning this year as it marks the 25th anniversary of the shuttle Challenger launch disaster. Flags flew at half-mast at NASA centres in the US.

NASA’s three fatalities occurred within days of one another but years apart. Three astronauts were killed in the Apollo 1 launch pad fire on January 27, 1967. Seven more died aboard Challenger on January 28, 1986. And the seven crew of Columbia perished during re-entry on February 1, 2003.