Ohio House approves bill to establish NASA Day of Remembrance

The Ohio House of Representatives has approved legislation to designate the fourth Thursday of January as NASA Day of Remembrance, according to State Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel, R-New Waterford, who represents Carroll County.

House Bill 293 would give Ohioans an annual opportunity to honor those who lost their lives in pursuit of space exploration and scientific discovery, including the crews of Apollo 1 and the space shuttles Challenger and Columbia.

“Designating this day reminds us that progress in exploration often comes with great sacrifice, and we owe these pioneers our lasting gratitude,” Robb Blasdel said.

Ohio is known as the birthplace of aviation and ranks fourth in the nation for producing astronauts, with 26 calling the state home.

The measure now moves to the Ohio Senate for consideration.