Introduction to Space Exploration - Space Casualties

Exploration has always been dangerous. Many ancient explorers died during their journeys across deserts, seas, mountains, and jungles. Space exploration has its own casualties.

During the earliest days of space travel dozens of animals were sacrificed for the space program. The United States sent a variety of small animals and primates up in rockets to test the safety of space flight for humans. Very few survived the flight or the examination afterward. Some of the so-called astro-monkeys and astro-chimps that lost their lives were named Able, Albert, Bonny, Goliath, Gordo, and Scatback. The Soviets preferred dogs to test their spacecraft. Dogs named Bars, Laika, Lisichka, Mushka, and Pchelka died as a result.

Space programs in both countries have suffered human losses throughout the years as well:

• January 27, 1967—Apollo 1 crew dies during a flash fire aboard a capsule on the launch pad undergoing routine test. The casualties were Virgil (Gus) Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee.
• April 24, 1969—Soyuz cosmonaut Vladimir Komorov dies during descent to Earth when his parachutes failed to function properly.
• June 29, 1971—Soyuz 11 crew dies during descent to Earth when their spacecraft lost its atmosphere due to a leaky valve. The casualties were Georgiy Dobrovolskiy, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsayev
• January 28, 1986—The space shuttle Challenger crew dies shortly after launch due to an explosion caused by leaking hot gases. The casualties were Dick Scobee, Mike Smith, Judy Resnik, Ron McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Greg Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe.
• February 1, 2003—The space shuttle Columbia crew dies during Earth reentry when a damaged wing allows hot gases to enter the spacecraft, tearing the shuttle apart. The casualties were Rick Husband, Willam McCool, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Roman.

In January 2004 NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe announced that the last Thursday in January will become a day of remembrance for lives lost in the American space program. Each year on this day NASA employees will observe a moment of silence and flags will be flown at half-staff to honor the dead.

Like all journeys of discovery space exploration is a bold and perilous undertaking. Major sacrifices have been made to move humankind closer to the stars. In 1962 President Kennedy aptly described the combination of fear, hope, and yearning that characterizes every journey into space, "As we set sail we ask God's blessing on the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest adventure on which man has ever embarked."