January 28, 1986

For some people, older than me, the assassination of John F. Kennedy is an impression burned into their mind forever. They remember exactly where they were and what they were doing. It is a moment that will remain with them forever. For my generation the date of January 28, 1986 has been seared into our minds for the rest of our lives. While I honestly had not thought about it in years, when I clicked on CNN's website all the memories flooded back into my mind. I was in elementary school. I remember an announcement being made over the school PA system and I remember them bringing in TV's to show as what had just happened. I was nine years old at the time. It was a colder than usual day in Cape Canaveral, FL (36 degrees F). NASA space shuttle crew STS 51-L began their flight into space. They were hoping to make history by bringing along the first teacher, Christa McAuliffe, into space. Instead, another course of history had been charted for them. Just 73 seconds into their flight an o-ring seal in the right rocket booster failed creating a flame which destroyed the structural integrity of the spacecraft. The space shuttle Challenger was destroyed and all seven crew members were killed, most likely upon impact with the ocean. Like 9/11 now 1/28/86 is a day that will live on forever in the memories of those who witnessed it. I personally remember being shocked and deeply saddened, particularly over the loss of a teacher. It was a tragic day for more than just NASA's space program. On the twentieth anniversay of this day we should take the time to remember. In the words of President Ronald Reagan, issued shortly after the Challenger explosion, "We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of earth' to 'touch the face of God." Read: About the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Read: About Christa McAuliffe Read: An account of the Challenger's Timeline