CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — January 28, 1986, remains one of the most tragic moments in America’s spaceflight history.
After days of delays, Space Shuttle Challenger lifted off from Kennedy Space Center at 11:38 a.m. with Commander Francis Scobee, Pilot Michael Smith, Mission Specialists Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, and Judith Resnik, along with Payload Specialists Gregory Jarvis and teacher Christa McAuliffe.
Just 73 seconds into flight, a cold-related O-ring failure in the solid rocket boosters caused a catastrophic breakup over the Atlantic Ocean. During NASA’s Day of Remembrance, Former Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana remembered the image of the shuttle’s solid rocket motors separating against a clear blue Florida sky.
Reflections also came from the families left behind. Alison Smith Balch, the daughter of Challenger astronaut Michael Smith, spoke about how the loss continues to shape families, educators, students, and communities across the country.
The Challenger disaster led to a temporary suspension of the space shuttle program and a complete redesign of the solid rocket boosters. NASA leaders say those hard lessons remain vital today, as the agency continues to honor the Challenger crew—and all those who’ve lost their lives in the pursuit of exploration.
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