I just read that it was 40 years ago today that the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster took place 46,000ft over the Atlantic Ocean, after launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This incident stands out in my mind as the first major world tragedy that I can remember as a child. I have no idea why I was there that day, but I do recall being at my grandparent’s apartment.
Aboard it were the crew, consisting of:
Dick Scobee, commander
Michael J. Smith, pilot
Ronald McNair, mission specialist
Ellison Onizuka, mission specialist
Judith Resnik, mission specialist
Gregory Jarvis, payload specialist
Christa McAuliffe, payload specialist, teacher
Next month, the Artemis II will launch from the same launch pad, KSC’s 39-B, continuing years of space exploration that honours the sacrifice this crew (and others) have made in the name of science.