Remembering Space Shuttle Challenger

Space Shuttle Challenger's First Launch 1983 (Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons source )

Thirty years ago today, on January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members. The disaster was seen around the world on live t.v.. It was especially tragic because one of the people on board was New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe, who had been selected from over 11,000 applicants to become the first Teacher In Space. She was supposed to conduct scientific experiments and teach two lessons while in orbit. Because of Mrs.McAuliffe being on board, many schools were watching the event live, and millions of children witnessed this shocking tragedy in real time.

Challenger Crew members are (left to right, front row) astronauts Michael J. Smith, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee and Ronald E. McNair; Ellison S. Onizuka, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis and Judith A. Resnik.  (Photo by NASA) source

I was off from school that day (I think we had a snow day), but I wasn't watching the launch. Just after it happened, one of my friends called me in tears, and I turned on to see the shocking replays of this terrible event. The explosion of Challenger was one of those famous "Where were you when it happened?" moments, like the assassination of John F. Kennedy or September 11, 2001, when the nation and world came together in shock, disbelief, and collective mourning. For people like myself, born after John F. Kennedy's assassination, it was the first time we had experienced something like this, and although later world events would have more significance, this was a moment we would never forget.

Exhaust Trails-Challenger Explosion (Photo by NASA) source

That night, President Reagan postponed his scheduled State of the Union message, and spoke about the Challenger disaster as a tribute to the special men and women who died trying to reach for the stars. The link to the video of this memorable speech is below. For an in-depth overview of the Challenger disaster and subsequent investigation, please click on the following link to the excellent Wikipedia article on this subject, which includes multiple links to more information if you are interested.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster