Hughes Names Road for Challenger Victim
On the 11th anniversary of the Challenger space shuttle crash Tuesday, Hughes Space and Communications Co. formally named a street on its El Segundo property in memory of a former employee who was aboard the doomed spacecraft.
The private road, formerly a railroad easement, will be known as Greg Jarvis Way. Jarvis was one of the seven passengers who perished Jan. 28, 1986, when the shuttle exploded shortly after takeoff.
The newly named street leads to Hughes’ Integrated Satellite Factory, where Jarvis spent much of his time at work, according to Hughes spokeswoman Diana Ball. The former Air Force captain joined Hughes in 1973 to work on the MARISAT program, the world’s first maritime telecommunications satellite system.
At the time of the accident, Jarvis had been working as a satellite systems engineer. He was selected from 600 employees to be the company’s first satellite specialist to participate in the space program.
Ball said that when the railroad easement was turned into a road two years ago, the company invited employees to suggest a name for it. Most employees suggested Greg Jarvis Way.
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