
Lost Arc
Case of the Lost Atmosphere

Most galaxies are clumped together in groups or clusters. A neighboring galaxy is never far away. But this galaxy, known as NGC 6503, has found itself in a lonely position, at the edge of a strangely empty patch of space called the Local Void. The Local Void is a huge stretch of space that is at least 150 million light-years across. It seems completely empty of stars or galaxies. The galaxy’s odd location on the edge of this never-land led stargazer Stephen James O’Meara to dub it the “Lost-In-Space galaxy” in his 2007 book, Hidden Treasures. NGC 6503 is 18 million light-years away from us in the northern circumpolar constellation of Draco. NGC 6503 spans some 30,000 light-years, about a third of the size of the Milky Way. This Hubble Space Telescope image shows NGC 6503 in striking detail and with a rich set of colors. Bright red patches of gas can be seen scattered through its swirling spiral arms, mixed with bright blue regions that contain newly forming stars. Dark brown dust lanes snake across the galaxy’s bright arms and center, giving it a mottled appearance. The Hubble Advanced Camera for Surveys data for NGC 6503 were taken in April 2003, and the Wide Field Camera 3 data were taken in August 2013. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and the European Space Agency. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., in Washington, D.C. Photo Credit: NASA, ESA, D. Calzetti (University of Massachusetts), H. Ford (Johns Hopkins University), and the Hubble Heritage Team <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/audience/formedia/features/MP_Photo_Guidelines.html" rel="nofollow">NASA image use policy.</a></b> <b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.html" rel="nofollow">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a></b> enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission. <b>Follow us on <a href="http://twitter.com/NASAGoddardPix" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a></b> <b>Like us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Greenbelt-MD/NASA-Goddard/395013845897?ref=tsd" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a></b> <b>Find us on <a href="http://instagrid.me/nasagoddard/?vm=grid" rel="nofollow">Instagram</a></b>

This figure shows a comparison of interferograms from four different years mapping the rapid ground subsidence over the Lost Hills oil field in California.
Pan is nearly lost within Saturn rings in this view captured by NASA Cassini spacecraft of a small section of the rings from just above the ringplane.
This frame from an animation depicts ground subsidence resulting from the extraction of oil. The oil fields are located near the community of Lost Hills, California, approximately 100 km northwest of Bakersfield.

This is a radar image of the region around the site of the lost city of Ubar in southern Oman, on the Arabian Peninsula. The ancient city was discovered in 1992 with the aid of remote sensing data. Archeologists believe Ubar existed from about 2800 B.C. to about 300 A.D. and was a remote desert outpost where caravans were assembled for the transport of frankincense across the desert. This image was acquired on orbit 65 of space shuttle Endeavour on April 13, 1994 by the Spaceborne Imaging Radar C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR). The SIR-C image shown is centered at 18.4 degrees north latitude and 53.6 degrees east longitude. The image covers an area about 50 by 100 kilometers (31 miles by 62 miles). The image is constructed from three of the available SIR-C channels and displays L-band, HH (horizontal transmit and receive) data as red, C-band HH as blue, and L-band HV (horizontal transmit, vertical receive) as green. The prominent magenta colored area is a region of large sand dunes, which are bright reflectors at both L-and C-band. The prominent green areas (L-HV) are rough limestone rocks, which form a rocky desert floor. A major wadi, or dry stream bed, runs across the middle of the image and is shown largely in white due to strong radar scattering in all channels displayed (L and C HH, L-HV). The actual site of the fortress of the lost city of Ubar, currently under excavation, is near the Wadi close to the center of the image. The fortress is too small to be detected in this image. However, tracks leading to the site, and surrounding tracks, appear as prominent, but diffuse, reddish streaks. These tracks have been used in modern times, but field investigations show many of these tracks were in use in ancient times as well. Mapping of these tracks on regional remote sensing images was a key to recognizing the site as Ubar in 1992. This image, and ongoing field investigations, will help shed light on a little known early civilization. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA01721

STEVE MILEY, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF NASA'S MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER, LIGHTS A MEMORIAL CANDLE JAN. 30, HONORING THE BRAVE EXPLORERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN PURSUIT OF HUMANITY’S DESTINY IN SPACE. MARSHALL, ALONG WITH NASA CENTERS AND PARTNER FACILITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY, HOLD DAY OF REMEMBRANCE CEREMONIES EARLY EACH YEAR TO RECOGNIZE ITS FALLEN HEROES

ESA Herschel Space Observatory found oxygen molecules in a dense patch of gas and dust adjacent to star-forming regions in the Orion nebula.

In this NASA Mars Odyssey image of eastern Arabia Terra, remnants of a once vast layered terrain are evident as isolated buttes, mesas, and deeply-filled craters. The origin of the presumed sediments that created the layers is unknown, but those same sediments, now eroded, may be the source of the thick mantle of dust that covers much of Arabia Terra today. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA04400

Saturn tiny moon Atlas, just to the left of the center of the image, appears almost indistinguishable from the background stars seen in this image captured by NASA Cassini spacecraft.

NASA Spitzer Space Telescope exposes the depths of this dusty nebula with its infrared vision, showing stellar infants that are lost behind dark clouds when viewed in visible light.

This image shows a portion of the north polar dune field where there has been more frost lost from the dunes. This image is from NASA 2001 Mars Odyssey spacecraft.

This image of the polar region illustrates the effect of the sun on polar frost. The highstanding ridges have lost all their frost cover, while the lows shaded by the ridges still have a bright frost cover

NASA Spitzer and Chandra space telescopes have uncovered a long-lost population of active supermassive black holes, or quasars located deep in the bellies of distant, massive galaxies circled in blue.

Saturn moon Daphnis, appearing as a tiny speck in the Keeler Gap of the A ring on the far right of this NASA Cassini spacecraft image, is almost lost among the moon attendant edge waves.

Patrick Scheuermann (left), deputy director at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, and Richard Gilbrech, associate director, place a wreath in memory of the 17 astronauts lost in service of the space program since 1967. The wreath was placed during NASA's 2010 Day of Remembrance, observed each year in January. The annual observance memorializes the three astronauts lost in the Apollo 1 launch pad fire in 1967, the seven astronauts lost in the Challenger tragedy in 1986 and the seven astronauts lost in the Columbia accident in 2003. During the Stennis observance, Scheuermann praised the fallen astronauts as 'brave space pioneers who gave their lives in the cause of exploration and discovery.'

A plaque adjacent to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex's Space Mirror Memorial includes likenesses of the fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

STEVE CASH LIGHTS CANDLES IN REMEMBRANCE OF THOSE WHO HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES IN PURSUIT OF SPACE EXPLORATION.

This frame from an animation based on data from NASA Grace satellite shows dramatic changes in Greenland ice mass from 2003 through 2011 revealing how much ice has been lost and gained each year.

NASA GRACE mission has become a key source of knowledge about global ice mass changes. Studies of Greenland using GRACE and other data indicate that between 2000 and 2008 the Greenland ice sheet lost as much as 1,500 gigatons of mass.

A bright ice cap of frozen water covers the North Pole of Mars as seen by NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. In winter, thin coverings of carbon dioxide and water frost covers this area and frosts finally disappear at end of the Martian spring season.

During an Astronauts Memorial Foundation tribute honoring U.S. Air Foce Maj. Robert Lawrence, his sister, Barbara Lawrence, Ph.D., places a flower at the Space Mirror Memorial which honors those lost in efforts to explore space. Selected in 1967 for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program, Lawrence was the first African-American astronaut. He lost his life in a training accident 50 years ago. The ceremony took place in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy visitor complex.

At the Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex, the name of U.S. Air Foce Maj. Robert Lawrence is one of those included on the Space Mirror Memorial which honors those lost in efforts to explore space. Selected in 1967 for the Manned Orbiting Laboratory Program, Lawrence was the first African-American astronaut. He lost his life in a training accident 50 years ago. The ceremony took place in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy visitor complex.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine speaks to family members and friends of astronauts lost in the Challenger and Columbia missions during a wreath laying ceremony as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA personnel, family members of those lost in Challenger, Columbia, Apollo 1 and members of the public watch as a wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknowns by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, at Arlington National Cemetery. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Vice President Mike Pence observes the grave marker of Virgil "Gus" Grissom, from Apollo 1, after family and friends of astronauts lost in the Challenger and Columbia missions, former NASA Administrators, and other NASA staff participated in a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

In this observation from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, these two craters perched at the edge of an outflow channel, appear to have lost a portion of their crater rims during a flood event. Alternatively, it is also possible that the craters impacted the edge of the outflow channel after the flood occurred and we are seeing the difference in the strength of the material impacted. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21881

This graphic depicts paths by which carbon has been exchanged between Martian interior, surface rocks, polar caps, waters and atmosphere, and also depicts a mechanism by which carbon is lost from the atmosphere with a strong effect on isotope ratio. Carbon dioxide (CO2) to generate the Martian atmosphere originated in the planet's mantle and has been released directly through volcanoes or trapped in rocks crystallized from magmas and released later. Once in the atmosphere, the CO2 can exchange with the polar caps, passing from gas to ice and back to gas again. The CO2 can also dissolve into waters, which can then precipitate out solid carbonates, either in lakes at the surface or in shallow aquifers. Carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere is continually lost to space at a rate controlled in part by the sun's activity. One loss mechanism is called ultraviolet photodissociation. It occurs when ultraviolet radiation (indicated on the graphic as "hv") encounters a CO2 molecule, breaking the bonds to first form carbon monoxide (CO) molecules and then carbon (C) atoms. The ratio of carbon isotopes remaining in the atmosphere is affected as these carbon atoms are lost to space, because the lighter carbon-12 (12C) isotope is more easily removed than the heavier carbon-13 (13C) isotope. This fractionation, the preferential loss of carbon-12 to space, leaves a fingerprint: enrichment of the heavy carbon-13 isotope, measured in the atmosphere of Mars today. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20163

SGT. JAMES OLD, RIGHT, PERFORMS THE INTRODUCTION FROM JAMES HORNER'S "APOLLO 13" FILM SCORE AT THE U.S. SPACE AND ROCKET CENTER'S MEMORIAL EVENT HONORING NASA'S LOST SPACE HEROES.

Damian Kulash of OK Go performs "All Is Not Lost" during the National Tribute to Sally Ride at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Monday, May 20, 2013 in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A 20-foot by 15-foot replica of the STS-107 logo has been installed above the “A” on the A tower in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The debris from the orbiter Columbia, lost in a tragic accident on its return to Earth from the STS-107 mission, is permanently stored in the tower. A dedication ceremony Jan. 29, 2004, unveiled a plaque being installed in the storage area in honor of “Columbia, the crew of STS-107, and their loved ones.”

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Workers install a 20-foot by 15-foot replica of the STS-107 logo above the “A” on the A tower in the transfer aisle of the Vehicle Assembly Building. The debris from the orbiter Columbia, lost in a tragic accident on its return to Earth from the STS-107 mission, is permanently stored in the tower. A dedication ceremony Jan. 29, 2004, revealed a plaque being installed in the storage area in honor of “Columbia, the crew of STS-107, and their loved ones.”

NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock leaves a NASA pin on the headstone of the Extortion 17, fellow service members who lost their lives during his tour of duty in Afghanistan, as part of National Wreaths Across America Day, Sat., Dec. 14, 2019 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. National Wreaths Across America Day is held annually to celebrate the lives of military veterans. Wheelock honored those who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration as well as fellow service members. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

On National Wreaths Across America Day, items are seen on top of the headstone of the Extortion 17, service members who lost their lives during a tour of duty in Afghanistan, Sat., Dec. 14, 2019 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. National Wreaths Across America Day is held annually to celebrate the lives of military veterans. NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock served with the Extortion 17 and honored them as well as those who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration by laying wreaths at their headstones and at the memorial sites. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA astronaut Doug Wheelock takes a moment after laying a wreath at the headstone of the Extortion 17, fellow service members who lost their lives during his tour of duty in Afghanistan, as part of National Wreaths Across America Day, Sat., Dec. 14, 2019 at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. National Wreaths Across America Day is held annually to celebrate the lives of military veterans. Wheelock honored those who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration as well as fellow service members. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden participates in a wreath laying ceremony as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011, at Arlington National Cemetery. Wreathes were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial is seen during a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Ames and Moffett Field (MFA) historical sites and memorials Navy Patrol Squadron 50 Memorial Plaque and surrounding (located between Moffett Post office and Bldg 3 along McCord Avnue. In memory of the shipmentes lost at sea 21 March 1991.... Still on Station

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After the news that Space Shuttle Columbia was lost, crowds of media representatives begin to gather at the KSC News Center for information and interviews. The response was international, from Australia to Japan and Russia, Europe to Canada, and across the United States.

S86-25964 (31 Jan. 1978) --- Astronaut Ellison S. Onizuka. Photo credit: NASA (NOTE: Astronaut Onizuka lost his life in the Jan. 28, 1986, STS-51L space shuttle Challenger accident, along with six other crew members.)

The Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial is seen after a wreath laying ceremony as part of NASA’s Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The audience looks on during the NASA Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Jan. 30, 2020. The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, were honored at the annual event.

Astronaut Tom Stafford listens to remarks during Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony. Held this year in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the annual event honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

NASA leadership and guests watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and his wife Alexis lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, at Arlington National Cemetery. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA leadership and guests watch the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin listens to remarks during Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony. Held this year in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the annual event honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

Apollo launch team member John Tribe addresses guests at Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony. Held this year in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the annual event honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

Astronaut Charlie Duke addresses guests at Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony. Held this year in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the annual event honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

NASA personnel watch the guard-change ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns by as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A wreath is displayed during the NASA Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Jan. 30, 2020. The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, were honored at the annual event.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, left, lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, February 7, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana addresses guests at Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony. Held this year in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the annual event honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

Early morning sunlight illuminates the Space Mirror Memorial at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, where a wreath-laying ceremony will take place as part of Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance. The annual event honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and other NASA personnel participate in a wreath laying ceremony as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 27, 2011, at Arlington National Cemetery. Wreathes were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA personnel and members of the public watch as a wreath is laid at Tomb of the Unknowns during NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Stennis Space Center Director Gene Goldman (left) and Deputy Director Patrick Scheuermann place a wreath in StenniSphere in memory of the 17 astronauts lost in service of the space program since 1967. The wreath was placed during NASA's 2009 Day of Remembrance, observed each year on the last Thursday of January.

The Apollo1 Memorial is seen after a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At the launch of Space Shuttle Columbia on mission STS-107, long, flexible debris comes out of the liquid helium 2 Tail Service Mast after the door closes. Columbia and crew were lost in a tragic accident over Texas as they made their approach to landing at KSC.

ISS007-E-11609 (2 August 2003) --- This digital still camera's view from the International Space Station features early August forest fires in the Lost Creek area on the border of Alberta and British Columbia, just to the southwest of Calgary. Across the international border, the fires were raging in the Glacier National Park in Montana

The Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial is seen after a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, at Arlington National Cemetery. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and his wife Alexis lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, at Arlington National Cemetery. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Ames and Moffett Field (MFA) historical sites and memorials Navy Patrol Squadron 50 Memorial Plaque and surrounding (located between Moffett Post office and Bldg 3 along McCord Avnue. In memory of the shipmentes lost at sea 21 March 1991.... Still on Station

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden participates in a wreath laying ceremony as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, at Arlington National Cemetery. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial is seen during a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: MARSHALL CENTER DIRECTOR PATRICK SCHEUERMANN WELCOMES TEAM MEMBERS AND GUESTS TO THE LOBBY OF BUILDING 4200, WHERE THE CENTER HOSTED A BRIEF GATHERING JAN. 30, INCLUDING A MOMENT OF SILENCE TO REFLECT ON THE LIVES OF THE LOST APOLLO, CHALLENGER AND COLUMBIA CREWS, AND ALL THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES IN PURSUIT OF NASA'S MISSION

The Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial is seen after a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

The NASA flag is seen flying at half-staff on NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Wreaths will be laid at memorial sites in Arlington National Cemetery later today in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

The Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial is seen after a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, at Arlington National Cemetery. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NASA personnel watch as a wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknowns by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, at Arlington National Cemetery. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

The Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial is seen prior to a wreath laying ceremony as part of NASA’s Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

The Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial is seen during a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

S64-19430 (13 April 1964) --- Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom (left), Gemini-3 command pilot; and John W. Young, pilot. EDITOR?S NOTE: Astronaut Grissom lost his life in the Apollo 1/Saturn 204 fire at Cape Kennedy on Jan. 27, 1967.

DAY OF REMEMBRANCE: FORMER SPACE SHUTTLE ASTRONAUT JIM HALSELL, LEFT, TECHNICAL DIRECTOR OF THE SPACE DIVISION OF DYNETICS INC. OF HUNTSVILLE, LIGHTS A CANDLE FOR NASA'S LOST CREW MEMBERS. TERESA VANHOOSER, MARSHALL DEPUTY DIRECTOR, LOOKS ON. THE CANDLE-LIGHTING WAS PART OF A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY JAN. 30 AT THE MARSHALL CENTER.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

ISS007-E-11613 (2 August 2003) --- This digital still camera's view from the International Space Station features early August forest fires in the Lost Creek area on the border of Alberta and British Columbia, just to the southwest of Calgary. Across the international border, fires were raging in the Glacier National Park in Montana

S66-24522 (1966) --- Astronauts Virgil I. Grissom, Edward H. White, II and Roger B. Chaffee take a break from their training to pose for this portrait. The crew later lost their lives in a January 27, 1967 fire in the Apollo Command Module (CM) during testing at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

A wreath is placed near the Space Mirror Memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in preparation for Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony. The annual event honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Near the Astronauts Memorial Space Mirror at the KSC Visitor Complex, guests leave flowers as a tribute to the fallen crew of Columbia. The Columbia and her crew of seven were lost on Feb. 1, 2003, over East Texas as they returned to Earth after a 16-day research mission, STS-107.

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, left, lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, February 7, 2019, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

S66-35219 (1966) --- Astronaut Edward H. White II (United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel), Gemini 4 pilot. Editor's Note: Since this portrait was taken astronaut White lost his life on Jan. 27, 1967, in the Apollo 1/Saturn 204 fire at Cape Kennedy, KSC, Florida.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - In a parking lot near the Vehicle Assembly Building (background), this car lost its rear window to the category 3 Hurricane Jeanne that barreled through Central Florida Sept. 25-26. Behind it is a fence mangled by the storm. Hurricane Jeanne was the fourth hurricane in 6 weeks to batter the state.

NASA Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot addresses guests at Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony. Held this year in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the annual event honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

Wreaths are seen in the lobby of NASA Headquarters on NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, in Washington. The wreaths will be laid at memorial sites in Arlington National Cemetery later today in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)

Ames and Moffett Field (MFA) historical sites and memorials Navy Patrol Squadron 50 Memorial Plaque and surrounding (located between Moffett Post office and Bldg 3 along McCord Avnue. In memory of the shipmentes lost at sea 21 March 1991.... Still on Station

The Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial is seen after a wreath laying ceremony as part of NASA’s Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)

Sheryl Chaffee, daughter of Apollo 1 astronaut Roger Chaffee, addresses guests at Kennedy Space Center's Day of Remembrance ceremony. Held this year in the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, the annual event honors the contributions of all astronauts who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - After the news that Space Shuttle Columbia was lost, crowds of media representatives begin to gather at the KSC News Center for information and interviews. The response was international, from Australia to Japan and Russia, Europe to Canada, and across the United States.

A wreath is displayed during the NASA Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Jan. 30, 2020. The crews of Apollo 1 and space shuttles Challenger and Columbia, as well as other fallen astronauts who lost their lives in the name of space exploration and discovery, were honored at the annual event.

Remembrances are seen left at the base of the Space Shuttle Challenger Crew Memorial during NASA's Day of Remembrance, Friday, Jan. 31, 2014, at Arlington National Cemetery. Wreaths were also laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

Ames and Moffett Field (MFA) historical sites and memorials Navy Patrol Squadron 50 Memorial Plaque and surrounding (located between Moffett Post office and Bldg 3 along McCord Avnue. In memory of the shipmentes lost at sea 21 March 1991.... Still on Station

ISS007-E-11614 (2 August 2003) --- This digital still camera's view from the International Space Station features early August forest fires in the Lost Creek area on the border of Alberta and British Columbia, just to the southwest of Calgary. Across the international border, fires were raging in the Glacier National Park in Montana

The Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial is seen after a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. Wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

A wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknowns by acting NASA Administrator Steve Jurczyk as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 28, 2021, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

S64-32343 (10 Sept. 1964) --- Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom Editor's Note: Grissom, one of the Original Seven or Mercury astronauts, lost his life in the Apollo 204 fire at Cape Kennedy on Jan. 27, 1967, along with astronauts Edward H. White II and Roger B. Chaffee.

The Space Shuttle Columbia memorial is seen after a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - At a site in the KSC Visitor Complex, flowers and mementos are left by guests as a memorial tribute to the fallen crew of Columbia. The Columbia and her crew of seven were lost on Feb. 1, 2003, over East Texas as they returned to Earth after a 16-day research mission, STS-107.

NASA Leadership and staff participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns as part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

The Space Shuttle Columbia Memorial is seen after a wreath laying ceremony that was part of NASA's Day of Remembrance, Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015, at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va. The wreaths were laid in memory of those men and women who lost their lives in the quest for space exploration. Photo Credit: (NASA/Joel Kowsky)