<p>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.<br /> <br /> Headlines:</p><ul> <li>NASA Artemis 2 Testing and Launch Delayed by Cold Weather</li> <li>Crew 12 Launch Schedule Impacted by Artemis II Slip</li> <li>New Artemis Launch Windows and Associated Challenges</li> <li>Countdown to NASA's Next Moonshot: Updated Flight Timelines</li></ul> <p>Main Topic: Remembering NASA's Worst Tragedies and Lessons Learned</p><ul> <li>Apollo 1 Fire: Causes, Team Reaction, and Aftermath</li> <li>Transition from Gemini to Apollo: Organizational and Technical Shifts</li> <li>Challenger Disaster: Technical Failures, Team Dynamics, and Impact</li> <li>Shuttle Safety Evolution and Lessons from Columbia</li> <li>The Resolve and Spirit of NASA Teams After Tragedy</li> <li>Evolving Risk Management and Decision-Making in Human Spaceflight</li> <li>Reflections and Advice for Today's Flight Directors as Artemis II Flight Approaches</li></ul> <p><strong>Hosts:</strong> <a href="https://twit.tv/people/rod-pyle">Rod Pyle</a> and <a href="https://twit.tv/people/tariq-malik">Tariq Malik</a></p> <p><strong>Guest:</strong> <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/people/gerald-d-griffin/" target="_blank">Gerry Griffin</a></p> <p>Download or subscribe to <em>This Week in Space</em> at <a href="https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space">https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space</a>.</p> <p><strong>Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts!</strong><br /> Support what you love and get ad-free audio <em>and</em> video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: <a href="https://twit.tv/clubtwit" rel="payment">https://twit.tv/clubtwit</a></p>
Source: https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space/episodes/195
Published: 2026-01-30 15:09:30