CLEVELAND--The Visitor Center at NASA's Glenn Research Center will pay tribute to those who lost their lives pursuing the exploration of space. They include the crews of Apollo 1, space shuttle Challenger and Columbia, as well as all other members of the NASA family who have lost their lives in the pursuit of knowledge.

A minute of silence will be observed at 12:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, Jan. 29, followed by a presentation entitled "Space Heroes" given by Jeff Woytach of Glenn's Speakers Bureau. Woytach will give the presentation again at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7. Both events are open to the public. Visitors also may view the astronaut memorial wall in the Visitor Center.

Admission is free, and the building is wheelchair accessible. The Visitor Center is open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday 1 to 5 p.m. The Visitor Center is located at 21000 Brookpark Road. All adult visitors must present government-issued photo identification upon entering the research center's main gate. Access to the Visitor Center is limited to U.S. citizens, and all vehicles are subject to inspection.

Reporters interested in attending the presentations should contact Sally Harrington at 216-433-2037 or the Media Relations Office at 216-433-2901 so they can be cleared through security.

For further information about Glenn's Visitor Center, call 216-433-2000, or visit http://visit.grc.nasa.gov