On June 27, NASA and the families of the lost astronauts gathered at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Through the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, the space agency unveiled a permanent memorial called, "Forever Remembered," to honor the crews who have lost their lives while on a mission to space.

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On Thursday and Friday, the families of the 14 men and women who perished aboard the shuttle Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003, have been given an opportunity for private viewings. But on Saturday, NASA officially opened the "Forever Remembered" memorial to the public, CBS News reported.

"The crews of Challenger and Columbia are forever a part of a story that is ongoing," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement. "It is the story of humankind's evolving journey into space, the unknown, and the outer-reaches of knowledge, discovery, and possibility. It is a story of hope."

The ceremony was formally opened by veteran shuttle astronauts, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, and Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana. The memorial, which covers almost 2,000 square feet, holds a huge collection of personal items of both flight crews. NASA revealed it also has some recovered hardware, which were never-before-displayed for public viewing, from both Challenger and Columbia. 

Despite the tragic loss of 14 brave astronauts and the nation's first two shuttles, Columbia and Challenger, the Space Shuttle Program story is full of remarkable achievements. From its first expedition in 1981 to its final touchdown in 2011, the capable, reusable delta-winged vehicle fascinated a generation. And the tragedies motivated the space agency to learn from these grievous events, not only to safely return the shuttle for a mission flight, but also to guarantee the safety of future space explorers.

Meanwhile, in spite of bearing the scars of the ordeal each shuttle has suffered, great care has been taken to preserve the mementos exhibited in the "Forever Remembered" memorial. According to Click Orlando, the memorial concluded with a focus on the recovery and return-to-flight efforts, including the emotional stress these events had on the nation, the challenges involved in recovery, and the success of return to flight.

In the shadow of the shuttle Atlantis, the "Forever Remembered" memorial struggles to strike a balance between sober reflection and a celebration of the crew members' lives and the vehicles that carried them in flight.

Indeed, the life and the responsibilities of an astronaut are no easy task and are extremely dangerous. But as NASA pays tribute to the lives of the fourteen space crew members they've lost, it just simply proves that these explorers are truly brave enough to follow their dreams.

TagsNASA, astronauts, Challenger, Columbia, Forever Remembered, memorial