Remembering Challenger: 25 Years Later

Rory Cooper / January 28, 2011

Today, America marks the 25^th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger tragedy. On January 28, 1986, America lost seven brave explorers – Dick Scobee, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe – when NASA suffered its first-ever in-flight loss.

The loss of the Challenger marked one of those vivid moments in our nation’s history that are unforgettable, including where you watched it, heard of it or how you grieved. For millions of Generation Xers, they were in their school rooms, cafeterias and libraries set to witness the historic flight of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from Concord, New Hampshire whose flight was scheduled to inspire future generations of explorers, scientists and dreamers. (more…)