NASA fulfilled the dream of Chandler "Chad" Keller, who was aboard the plane that crashed into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001.
September 11, 2021 commemorates the attacks on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, which on the same day in 2001 shocked the world and plunged Western civilization into the nightmare of terrorism.
September 11 is collective and individual history: among the individual experiences, the most tragic are those of relatives and victims - the latter numbered almost 3 thousand. And among the stories of the victims, all worthy of a testimony, CNN has decided to tell the one of Chandler "Chad" Keller, who dreamed of going into space and who died on September 11, 2001 aboard the plane that crashed into the Pentagon.
Who was Chandler "Chad" Keller, who dreamed of going into space
Since he was a child of six, Chad dreamed of going into orbit. However, not being in perfect health, one of the basic requirements for those who want to reach space, he preferred to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering, a path that led him to work with Boeing, as a specialist in the launch of communication satellites. Among others, Chad also worked with the U.S. Department of Defense.
He was just returning from the Pentagon when the plane he was on was hijacked by terrorists, ending his flight on the roof of U.S. headquarters. Chad was 29 years old and his dream, still intact, of going into space.
How Chad's dream came true
Somehow, one of Chad's highest ambitions was realized by Chris Cassidy on Sept. 11, 2020. The 50-year-old NASA astronaut, a former soldier in Afghanistan, brought with him Chad's Boeing launch pins and two pins from the University of Colorado, a photo of the bombing victim with his wife Lisa and a letter, as well as some of his ashes.
All of this was taken to the International Space Station, a move that moved the young man's family and represents an attempt to make up, as much as possible, for a dream shattered by terrorist violence.
The International Space Station continued to be in the news afterward. Particularly as an ersatz Cold War seems to continue aboard up there. For example, Russia has reported NASA sabotage of the Russian module on the ISS, which, among other things, caused the entire station to shake the moment it docked.
Giuseppe Giordano