Challenger Disaster Crew Members Remembered 28 Years Later for 'Pulling Us Into the Future'
ByOn Jan. 28, 1986, the world was shown just how dangerous space travel is and the sacrifice many have made to make such an incredible achievement possible.
28 years ago today, the Challenger exploded one minute and 13 seconds after it took off from the Cape Canaveral, Fla. launch site. Seven astronauts died that day and their names were Francis (Dick) Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik and Ellison Onizuka. (Source: Houston Chronicle).
The astronauts made that sacrifice so that one day people on Earth could land rovers on Mars and the Moon and send satellites deeper into space than we ever imagined possible.
The New York Times reported that day the cause was not immediately known. We now know it was the failure of a booster engine that caused the shuttle to break apart and explode, causing a wave of falling debris that lasted for about an hour. The explosion occurred around 11:39 a.m. and possible causes were believed to be related to the external fuel tank.
"Americans who had grown used to the idea of men and women soaring into space reacted with shock to the disaster, the first time United States astronauts had died in flight," William J. Broad wrote for the NYT that day. "President Reagan canceled the State of the Union Message that had been scheduled for tonight, expressing sympathy for the families of the crew but vowing that the nation's exploration of space would continue."
On this day in 2014, President Obama is scheduled to give a State of the Union address, but his will not be anything like the one Reagan gave 28 years ago. On Jan. 28, 1986, the President gave his memorable speech where he encouraged Americans that the future "belongs to the brave."
"And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's take-off," Reagan said. "I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them."