Remembering the Challenger

Each generation seems to have a defining moment, an event that is so tragic it stays with that generation, bringing the people together in that instant of shock and mourning.  For my mother, it was the assassination of John F. Kennedy.  In fact, she can still tell you exactly where she was and how she felt when she heard that news that her beloved President had been shot and died in Dallas even though fifty decades have come and gone.  For my daughter, it was September 11^th when the towers fell.  She was only 8 when it happened, but she can still recall the fear, the confusion, and, for the lack of a better word, the terror that befell her and the rest of America as she learned of the tragedy that struck New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania on that Tuesday morning in 2001.  I can still remember the terror attacks of 2001 as clear as it was yesterday, but my generation had an earlier defining moment.  Those who lived through the decade of the 1980s will agree that the Challenger explosion was one of the most tragic and memorable moments of that time.  This day, January 28, twenty-eight years ago, the American shuttle orbiter Challenger entered the atmosphere and exploded, killing all seven aboard, only 73 seconds after takeoff.  The crew included a schoolteacher, Christa McAuliffe, who was chosen to join the crew and teach schoolchildren from space, which had never been previously attempted.  The six astronauts and the teacher were forever etched in our memories as heroes tragically taken in that instant 73 seconds after launch.  I can still remember seeing this event unfold live on television, grappling to understand what happened and mourning with the rest of the country.  May the Challenger crew be remembered as heroes of our space program and may their names and contributions live forever.