Watch How NASA Marked the Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster Anniversary

By Sherri Lonon/Patch

Watch the video at the bottom of this post.

As America marks the 29th anniversary of the Challenger disaster, NASA is taking time out to remember all of those who have died advancing the country’s space program.

“Today we remember and give thanks for the lives and contributions of those who gave their all trying to push the boundaries of human achievement,” Charles Bolden, NASA’s administrator, wrote on the agency’s website. “On this solemn occasion, we pause in our normal routines and remember the STS-107 Columbia crew; the STS-51L Challenger crew; the Apollo 1 crew; Mike Adams, the first in-flight fatality of the space program as he piloted the X-15 No. 3 on a research flight; and those lost in test flights and aeronautics research throughout our history.”

NASA’s Day of Remembrance coincides with the anniversary of the Challenger disaster.

The Challenger was just 73 seconds post-launch on Jan. 28, 1986, when its booster engine failed, causing the space shuttle to break apart, claiming the lives of all seven crew members on board.

The much-heralded flight had captured the attention of the nation as Sharon “Christa” McAuliffe was intended to become the first schoolteacher in space. She was selected as the top candidate in the NASA Teacher in Space Project on July 19, 1985, representing Concord High School in Concord, N.H.

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As McAuliffe and the Challenger crew prepared to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on that January morning, the televised launched was watched from homes, offices and schools across the country, transforming thousands of viewers into witnesses of the tragedy.

Other crew members who lost their lives that day were Commander Francis R. Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Mission Specialists Judith A. Resnik, Ellison S. Onizuka, Ronald E. McNair and Payload Specialist Gregory B. Jarvis.

“These men and women were our friends, family and colleagues,” Bolden wrote. “They still are. As we undertake a journey to Mars, they will be with us. They have our eternal respect, love and gratitude.”

For more information on the Challenger and NASA’s Day of Remembrance, visit the agency’s website.

Do you remember where you were when the Challenger exploded? Share your memories by commenting below.

Image courtesy of NASA