Downey space center to honor late astronauts

DOWNEY – The Columbia Memorial Space Center (CMSC) will be hosting an ‘Astronaut Commemoration’ on Saturday, Jan. 27, to honor the loss of the Columbia Space Shuttle and her crew on February 1, 2003.

Join the space center in celebrating the astronauts of the Columbia, along with those of NASA’s two other lost spacecraft, Challenger and Apollo I, all of whom furthered our trek to the stars.

As NASA’s official memorial to the Columbia shuttle and crew, CMSC is the appropriate place for these commemoration events. All three NASA tragedies happened within the same week: Apollo 1 on January 27, 1967, Challenger on January 28, 1986, and Columbia on February 1, 2003.

More than a memorial, the day will be one of celebration for all that Columbia and her crew did for science and discovery. On Jan. 27, learn about the lives of each of the seven astronauts that were part of that last Columbia mission, STS 107, and how they pushed our journey to space and the STEM forward despite the tragedy.

CMSC will host a variety of special activities for the entire family. Tour our Challenger Learning Center and feel what it’s like to be in Mission Control and a future Space Craft. A special presentation will be held at 11 am.

“This is a special event and we hope you join us in commemorating these important events in the history of space exploration,” the space center said.

The Space Center opens at 10am. Admission to this event is free.

For more information about The Columbia Memorial Space Center, call (562) 231-1200 or visit www.columbiaspacescience.org.

The Columbia Memorial Space Center is located at 12400 Columbia Way in Downey.