HOUSTON – On Jan. 28, 1986, seven astronauts were killed when the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after taking off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
An investigation revealed a seal failed in extremely cold weather the day of the launch, causing one of the fuel tanks to explode.
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The gallery below pays tribute to each of the seven crew members who, as former President Ronald Reagan said, “’slipped the surly bonds of Earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.’”
S. Christa McAuliffe, Gregory B. Jarvis, Judith A. Resnik, Francis R. “Dick” Scobee,Ronald E. McNair, Michael J. Smith, and Ellison S. Onizuka all perished in the disaster.
Thirty-six years after Challenger, Fort Bend Independent School District celebrated McAuliffe on its Facebook page, saying in part, “We remember our namesake of Christa McAuliffe Middle School, Christa Corrigan McAuliffe, a teacher who was selected from more than 11,000 applicants to participate in the NASA Teacher in Space Project.”
Today marks 36 years since the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. We remember our namesake of Christa McAuliffe Middle...
January 28th is a Day of Remembrance honoring the lives of the crew and teacher aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. This marks 35 years since the Challenger disaster. ((NASA/Bill Ingalls))FILE - This Jan. 28, 1986, file photo shows President Ronald Reagan in the Oval Office of the White House after a televised address to the nation about the space shuttle Challenger explosion. In moments of crisis, American presidents have sought to summon words to match the moment in the hope that the power of oratory can bring order to chaos and despair. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook, File) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)FILE - In this Jan. 27, 1986, file photo, the crew for the Space Shuttle Challenger flight 51-L leaves their quarters for the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Mission Spl. Ronald McNair, center, was only the second African American chosen to go to space. He died in the Challenger launch. The documentary "Black in Space: Breaking the Color Barrier" is scheduled to air on the Smithsonian Channel on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020, and examines the race to get black astronauts into space. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File) (AP1986)No description foundThe space shuttle Challenger launched on Jan. 28, 1986. Seventy-three seconds after takeoff, the shuttle exploded killing everyone on board. Photo Courtesy: History.comOn January 28, 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after its life-off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This photo - Challenger's solid rocket boosters fly aimlessly on. [PHOTO: Getty Images]On January 28, 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after its life-off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This photo - Challenger's solid rocket boosters fly aimlessly on [PHOTO: Getty Images]On January 28, 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after its life-off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This photo - Parts of Challenger fly in every direction. [PHOTO: Getty Images]On January 28, 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after its life-off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This photo - Challenger's explodes. [PHOTO: Getty Images]On January 28, 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after its life-off from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This photo - Challenger's crew. [PHOTO: Getty Images]A portion of a plaque laid at the Astronaut's memorial at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., that honors the seven astronauts who died aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986. (NASA photo)
What do you remember most about that day? Share your memories in the comments.
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