HERKIMER, N.Y. -- Students from around Herkimer County got to witness the unveiling of some special artifacts Friday that belonged to former native astronaut Gregory B. Jarvis, who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion on January 28, 1986.
"Decision makers on risky endeavors like oil and gas exploration in the military and so on, study the Challenger accident to learn how to make better decisions than the launch team made that morning," said Astronaut Dr. Stanley Love.
Jarvis was raised in Mohawk, graduated from Mohawk High School and became a payload specialist for NASA. The school would later be named after him in his honor.
Friday’s event at Herkimer County Community College included the unveiling of a new memorial for Jarvis, which includes, among other things, a shuttle-era helmet, flight suit with Jarvis' name tag, and a scale size model of a NASA space shuttle.
Students also got to hear from astronaut Stanley Love, who encouraged them to shoot for the stars.
The effort was all started a few years ago. Herkimer County Legislator John Brezinski led the charge, getting students from every school in the county to sign a plea to NASA, asking for artifacts relating to Jarvis. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer also got involved, and in time, NASA responded.
"My main goal was to plant the seed of interest in NASA's space program into the hearts of the students who attend our schools," Brezinski said.
"I want all of the kids to know that it's possible. It's absolutely possible to dream big. It's more than just dreaming though. You have to put things into action and then actions become a reality," said Central Valley Academy Superintendent Jeremy Rich.
Overall, it seems to be a mission accomplished.
"It brings the sense of motivation because a lot of kids around here think that because you come from a small area you can't go far. But he clearly showed that you can go far," said Central Valley Academy student Shreya Patel.
The display case for the items isn't ready yet but eventually the items will be on display at the Herkimer County Office Building.
May 3 was also officially announced as “Gregory B. Jarvis Day” in Herkimer County.