{"id":168342,"date":"2021-01-28T14:18:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T18:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-467848"},"modified":"2023-09-22T12:48:50","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T16:48:50","slug":"35-years-ago-remembering-challenger-and-her-crew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/35-years-ago-remembering-challenger-and-her-crew\/","title":{"rendered":"35 Years Ago: Remembering Challenger and Her Crew"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The year 1986 was shaping up to be the most ambitious one yet for NASA\u2019s Space Shuttle Program. The agency\u2019s plans called for up to 15 missions, including the first flight from the West Coast launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Other important missions included the launch of two planetary spacecraft with very tight launch windows, an astronomy mission to study Halley\u2019s Comet, and the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope. The first mission of 1986, STS-61C, delayed from December 1985, flew between Jan. 12 and 18. The next flight, designated STS-51L, marked the 25th in the program and the 10th for space shuttle <em>Challenger<\/em>.  During the six-day mission, the seven-member crew was to deploy a large communications satellite, deploy and retrieve an astronomy payload to study Halley\u2019s Comet, and the first teacher in space would conduct lessons for schoolchildren from orbit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts_51l_crew_photo_s85-44253.jpg\" alt=\"sts_51l_crew_photo\" width=\"303\" height=\"242\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts_51l_crew_patch_s85-46260.jpg\" alt=\"sts_51l_crew_patch\" width=\"255\" height=\"242\"><br> <em>Left: STS-51L crew members Michael J. Smith, front row left, Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee, Ronald E. McNair; Ellison S. Onizuka, back row left, S. Christa McAuliffe, Gregory B. Jarvis, and Judith A. Resnik. Right: The STS-51L crew patch, with the red apple symbolizing McAuliffe\u2019s Teacher in Space program. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The primary objective of the STS-51L mission was to launch the second Tracking and Data Relay System (TDRS) satellite into orbit, part of a network of satellites in geostationary Earth orbit that, once completed, allowed near-continuous communications during shuttle missions. Designated TDRS-B, the large communications satellite relied on a two-stage solid-fuel Inertial Upper Stage (IUS) to reach its final orbital position after deployment from the space shuttle on the mission\u2019s first day. Observation of Halley\u2019s Comet, making its return to the inner solar system in its 76-year orbit around the Sun, was the objective of the Spartan-Halley astronomy satellite, developed by NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Spartan-Halley\u2019s observations were to contribute to integrated studies conducted by several international spacecraft. The STS-51L crew would deploy Spartan-Halley on the third mission day and retrieve it two days later after it completed its observations. The Teacher in Space activities consisted of two live sessions planned for the mission\u2019s sixth day. The first, entitled \u201cThe Ultimate Field Trip,\u201d sought to compare daily life aboard the space shuttle and on Earth, and the second, \u201cWhere We\u2019re Going, Where We\u2019ve Been, Why?\u201d sought to explain the importance of conducting research in space. Several other lessons to describe physical phenomena in weightlessness were to be filmed for later distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_tdrs_b_in_processing.jpg\" alt=\"51l_tdrs_b_in_processing\" width=\"165\" height=\"258\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts_51l_spartan_halley_during_processing.jpg\" alt=\"sts_51l_spartan_halley_during_processing\" width=\"348\" height=\"258\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/teacher_in_space_logo_s85-38312.jpg\" alt=\"teacher_in_space_logo\" width=\"207\" height=\"259\"><br> <em>Left: At NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center, engineers prepare the second Tracking and Data Relay System satellite for installation in <\/em>Challenger<em>\u2019s payload bay. Middle: Engineers process the Spartan-Halley spacecraft before installation in <\/em>Challenger<em>\u2019s payload bay. Right: The logo for NASA\u2019s Teacher in Space program.  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Jan. 29, 1985, NASA announced the five-person crew for the STS-51L mission, consisting of Commander Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, and Mission Specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, and Ronald E. McNair. Smith was the only spaceflight rookie while the other four had each completed one previous mission. At the time of the announcement, the mission planned to deploy the third Tracking and Data Relay System (TDRS) Satellite and included an opportunity to refly one of the two satellites returned to Earth during the STS-51A mission in November 1984. NASA decided to remove the second TDRS from a flight in March 1985 due to design issues, and following repairs, it became the primary payload for STS-51L, which for other reasons first slipped to December and then to January 1986. The delay created the opportunity to launch the Spartan-203 retrievable satellite to observe Comet Halley nearing its closest approach to the Sun in early 1986, and managers renamed the payload Spartan-Halley. Resnik had primary responsibilities for operating the shuttle\u2019s remote manipulator system to deploy and retrieve the satellites, and although no spacewalks were planned for the mission, McNair and Onizuka trained to carry out any contingency spacewalk tasks, such as manually closing the payload bay doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_eva_training_mcnair.jpg\" alt=\"51l_eva_training_mcnair\" width=\"250\" height=\"171\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_eva_training_onizuka.jpg\" alt=\"51l_eva_training_onizuka\" width=\"251\" height=\"171\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_eva_training_onizuka_mcnair_in_pool.jpg\" alt=\"51l_eva_training_onizuka_mcnair_in_pool\" width=\"250\" height=\"171\"><br> <em>Left:  A technician helping STS-51L astronaut Ronald E. McNair don his spacesuit in preparation for spacewalk training in the Weightless Environment Training Facility (WETF) at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Middle: A technician helping Ellison S. Onizuka with his helmet to prepare for spacewalk training in the WETF. Right: McNair (top) and Onizuka during the spacewalk training run in the WETF.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_resnik_smith_rms_ops_training.jpg\" alt=\"51l_resnik_smith_rms_ops_training\" width=\"299\" height=\"204\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/s85-40175.jpg\" alt=\"s85-40175\" width=\"312\" height=\"204\"><br> <em>Left: STS-51L astronauts Judith A. Resnik, left, and Michael J. Smith training to use the shuttle\u2019s remote manipulator system. Right: STS-51L crew members Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee, left, and Smith during a meeting in their office.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Aug. 27, 1984, President Ronald W. Reagan announced that a teacher would be the first space flight participant on the space shuttle. NASA released the Teacher in Space Announcement of Opportunity on Nov. 8, 1984, for a flight opportunity in early 1986. From the more than 10,000 applicants, NASA selected 10 finalists to undergo interviews and medical screening at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, in July 1985.  With the delay of STS-51L\u2019s launch to January 1986, NASA announced on June 13, 1985, that the teacher in space would fly on that mission. On July 19, Vice President George H.W. Bush announced the winner of the competition, New Hampshire middle school teacher S. Christa McAuliffe, with Idaho teacher Barbara R. Morgan serving as her backup. The addition of McAuliffe to the STS-51L crew marked only the second time that NASA had assigned two women to a single mission. On Sep. 9, McAuliffe and Morgan traveled to JSC to meet their fellow STS-51L crewmates and begin training for the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/s85-37183.jpg\" alt=\"s85-37183\" width=\"257\" height=\"226\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_mcauliffe_morgan_meet_rest_of_crew_sep_9_1985.jpg\" alt=\"51l_mcauliffe_morgan_meet_rest_of_crew_sep_9_1985\" width=\"301\" height=\"226\"><br> <em>Left: The 10 Teacher in Space finalists pose in front of NASA\u2019s KC-135 zero-gravity aircraft at Ellington Field in Houston in July 1985.  Right: The Teacher in Space winners meet the STS-51L crew \u2013 Ellison S. Onizuka, Barbara R. Morgan, Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee, S. Christa McAuliffe, Judith A. Resnik, Michael J. Smith, and Ronald E. McNair.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_mcauliffe_morgan_in_food_lab_bourland_sep_10_1985_s85-39979.jpg\" alt=\"51l_mcauliffe_morgan_in_food_lab_bourland_sep_10_1985_s85\" width=\"287\" height=\"189\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_crew_in_training_before_jarvis_added.jpg\" alt=\"51l_crew_in_training_before_jarvis_added\" width=\"272\" height=\"190\"><br> <em>Left: S. Christa McAuliffe, left, and Barbara R. Morgan, right, get their first taste of space food with Charles T. Bourland, head of the food lab at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston. Right: Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, McAuliffe, Ronald E. McNair, and Michael J. Smith in the payload bay of the full<br> fuselage space shuttle trainer at JSC.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1984, the Hughes Corporation selected employees Gregory B. Jarvis and L. William Butterworth as prime and backup payload specialist candidates, respectively, originally assigned to participate in the company\u2019s satellite deployment on the STS-51D mission in March 1985. Due to the addition of Utah Senator Edwin J. \u201cJake\u201d Garn to that flight, their flight assignment first changed to STS-51I and then to STS-61C. The late addition of Florida Congressman C. William \u201cBill\u201d Nelson to that flight bumped Jarvis again, and NASA finally added him to STS-51L on Oct. 25, 1985, rounding out the seven-member crew.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_jarvis_butterworth_training_for_51d_mar_1985.jpg\" alt=\"51l_jarvis_butterworth_training_for_51d_mar_1985\" width=\"284\" height=\"186\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/s85-41443.jpg\" alt=\"s85-41443\" width=\"283\" height=\"186\"><br> <em>Left: Hughes Corporation payload specialists Gregory B. Jarvis and L. William Butterworth during their training for the STS-51D mission.  Right: Barbara R. Morgan, left, Michael J. Smith, S. Christa McAuliffe, and Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee prepare to board T-38 <\/em>Talon<em> aircraft at Ellington Field in Houston.  <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_bldg_9_water_training_2.jpg\" alt=\"51l_bldg_9_water_training_2\" width=\"271\" height=\"186\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_preflight_crew_presser_dec_13_1985.jpg\" alt=\"51l_preflight_crew_presser_dec_13_1985\" width=\"282\" height=\"186\"><br> <em>Left: STS-51L crew members Ellison S. Onizuka, left, Ronald E. McNair, S. Christa McAuliffe, Michael J. Smith, Judith A. Resnik, Gregory B. Jarvis, and Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee during water evacuation training.  Right: McAuliffe, left, Jarvis, Resnik, Smith, McNair, Onizuka, and Scobee during a preflight press conference on Dec. 13, 1985.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts_51l_cct_flight_deck_dec_17_1985_s85-46207.jpg\" alt=\"sts_51l_cct_flight_deck_dec_17_1985\" width=\"277\" height=\"180\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts_51l_cct_middeck_dec_17_1985_s85-46208.jpg\" alt=\"sts_51l_cct_middeck_dec_17_1985\" width=\"280\" height=\"180\"><br> <em>Left: Four members of the STS-51L crew on the flight deck of the shuttle crew compartment trainer (CCT) \u2013 Michael J. Smith, left, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, and Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee. Right: Backup payload specialist Barbara R. Morgan, left, S. Christa McAuliffe, Gregory B. Jarvis, and Ronald E. McNair in the middeck of the<br> CCT on Dec. 17, 1985.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Workers at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) began preparing <em>Challenger<\/em> for its STS-51L mission immediately after it returned from its previous mission, STS-61A.  After its arrival back at KSC on Nov. 11, 1985, they towed <em>Challenger<\/em> into the Orbiter Processing Facility to remove the Spacelab module from the payload bay and begin refurbishing the orbiter. Engineers installed the Spartan-Halley payload on Dec. 9 and one week later towed <em>Challenger<\/em> to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to attach it to its external tank and solid rocket boosters (SRBs). Rollout to Launch Pad 39B took place on Dec. 22, the first time the pad hosted a rocket since the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/45-years-ago-soyuz-and-apollo-launch\/ \">Apollo-Soyuz Test Project<\/a> in 1975.  With space shuttle <em>Columbia<\/em> occupying Launch Pad 39A, awaiting its delayed launch on the STS-61C mission, this marked the first time that shuttles occupied both pads. The TDRS-B\/IUS combination arrived at the pad on Jan. 5, 1986, and workers installed it in <em>Challenger<\/em>\u2019s payload bay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_rollout_verify.jpg\" alt=\"51l_rollout_verify\" width=\"262\" height=\"218\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_columbia_on_pad_a_challenger_approaching_pad_b_dec_22_1985_s86-25900.jpg\" alt=\"51l_columbia_on_pad_a_challenger_approaching_pad_b_dec_22_1985_s86\" width=\"193\" height=\"218\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_accident_columbia_in_foreground_challenger_in_background.jpg\" alt=\"51l_accident_columbia_in_foreground_challenger_in_background\" width=\"172\" height=\"218\"><br> <em>Left: Space shuttle <\/em>Challenger<em> during the rollout to Launch Pad 39B at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center. Middle: Aerial view of space shuttle <\/em>Columbia<em> on Launch Pad 39A, left, and space shuttle <\/em>Challenger <em>approaching Launch Pad 39B. Right: For the first time in history, space shuttles occupied both pads at Launch Complex 39, with <\/em>Challenger<em> on Pad B, left, and <\/em>Columbia<em> on Pad A.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Jan. 8 and 9, engineers at KSC conducted the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT), essentially a dress rehearsal for the countdown to the launch itself. The STS-51L astronauts participated in the final stages of the TCDT by climbing aboard <em>Challenger<\/em> as they would on launch day, with the countdown being halted just before main engine ignition. At the launch pad, they participated in escape drills, climbing into rescue baskets they would use in case of an emergency. They also met with the media near the launch pad and answered reporters\u2019 questions, posing for photographs with the shuttle in the background. After the successful conclusion of the TCDT, managers targeted Jan. 23 as the launch date but had to slip the date to Jan. 26 due to continued delays with STS-61C. The astronauts traveled from Houston to KSC on Jan. 24.  With unfavorable weather projected for the 26th, managers slipped the launch by one day, to Jan. 27. The crew boarded <em>Challenger<\/em> for their first launch attempt, but managers scrubbed the launch, first due to a mechanical issue, and once it was resolved, winds at KSC violated launch constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts_51l_crew_in_white_room_jan_8_1986_s86-30460.jpg\" alt=\"sts_51l_crew_in_white_room_jan_8_1986\" width=\"265\" height=\"180\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_pad_evac_training_jan_8_1986_.jpg\" alt=\"51l_pad_evac_training_jan_8_1986\" width=\"227\" height=\"180\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_challenger_crew_in_front_of_astrovan_after_tcdt_jan_8_1986.jpg\" alt=\"51l_challenger_crew_in_front_of_astrovan_after_tcdt_jan_8_1986\" width=\"239\" height=\"180\"><br> <em>Left: STS-51L crew members S. Christa McAuliffe, left, Gregory B. Jarvis, Judith A. Resnik, Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee, Ronald E. McNair, Michael J. Smith, and Ellison S. Onizuka pose in the White Room of Launch Pad 39B during the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT). Middle: In the foreground basket, McNair, left, Jarvis, and McAuliffe, and in the rear basket, Resnik, left, and Onizuka, practice emergency escape procedures at Launch Pad 39B. Right: At the conclusion of the TCDT, Jarvis, left, Onizuka, McNair, Resnik, McAuliffe, Smith, and Scobee answer reporters\u2019 questions in front of the Astrovan at Launch Pad 39B.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Jan. 28, 1986, the astronauts once again boarded <em>Challenger<\/em> as managers had cleared the launch despite unexpectedly cold temperatures overnight at KSC. Managers considered significant ice covering parts of the launch tower as not enough of a concern to delay the launch. In behind-the-scenes discussions, concerns by engineers about the effects of the cold temperatures on the integrity of O-rings in SRB segment joints were overruled by managers who cleared <em>Challenger<\/em> to launch. Liftoff took place at 11:38 a.m. Eastern time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_crew_prelaunch_breakfast_jan_18_1986_51l-s-029.jpg\" alt=\"51l_crew_prelaunch_breakfast_jan_18_1986\" width=\"333\" height=\"217\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_crew_walkout_for_launch_jan_28_1986_51l-s-030.jpg\" alt=\"51l_crew_walkout_for_launch_jan_28_1986\" width=\"151\" height=\"217\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts-51l.jpg\" alt=\"sts-51l\" width=\"133\" height=\"217\"><br> <em>Left:  STS-51L astronauts Ellison S. Onizuka, left, S. Christa McAuliffe, Michael J. Smith, Francis R. \u201cDick\u201d Scobee, Judith A. Resnik, Ronald E. McNair, and Gregory B. Jarvis enjoy the traditional prelaunch breakfast.  Middle: STS-51L astronauts, front to back, Scobee, Resnik, McNair, Smith, McAuliffe, Onizuka, and Jarvis prepare to board the Astrovan for the ride out to Launch Pad 39B for the launch.  Right:  The launch of space shuttle <\/em>Challenger<em> on STS-51L.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As soon as <em>Challenger<\/em> cleared the launch tower, control of the vehicle shifted from KSC\u2019s Launch Control Center to the Mission Control Center (MCC) at JSC, where ascent Flight Director Jay H. Greene and his team monitored the mission\u2019s progress. For the first minute or so, the launch appeared to proceed normally, with the usual callouts between the crew and capsule communicator Richard O. Covey in MCC. At 73 seconds after liftoff, controllers lost all telemetry from <em>Challenger<\/em> and noticed a fireball on television screens. Stunned controllers slowly came to realize that the vehicle had suffered a major malfunction that the crew likely did not survive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l-s-001.jpg\" alt=\"51l-s-001\" width=\"275\" height=\"180\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l-s-002.jpg\" alt=\"51l-s-002\" width=\"273\" height=\"180\"><br> <em>Left: In the moments after the <\/em>Challenger<em> accident in the Mission Control Center at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center in Houston, capsule communicators Fredrick D. Gregory, left, and Richard O. Covey try to grasp the situation. Right: Ascent Flight Director Jay H. Greene in the moments after the accident.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Challenger\u2019s Legacy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_reagan_speech_after_accident.jpg\" alt=\"51l_reagan_speech_after_accident\" width=\"288\" height=\"180\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_rogers_commision_members_examine_srb_s86-28890_.jpg\" alt=\"51l_rogers_commision_members_examine\" width=\"268\" height=\"180\"><br> <em>Left: President Ronald W. Reagan addresses the nation after the <\/em>Challenger<em> accident. Right: Members of the Rogers Presidential Commission examine a solid rocket booster segment.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/newshour\/nation\/president-reagans-televised-speech-to-a-nation-after-challenger-disaster\" rel=\"noopener\">address to the nation<\/a> the evening after the accident, President Reagan eulogized the <em>Challenger<\/em> crew.  Quoting aviator and poet John Gillespie Magee, he said, \u201cWe 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.\u2019\u201d Reagan established a presidential commission, chaired by former Secretary of State William P. Rogers, to investigate the causes of the accident. The commission\u2019s report, referred to as the <a href=\"\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/rogersrep\/\">Rogers Commission Report<\/a>, summarized their findings of the technical causes of the accident as well as systemic organizational and cultural elements that led to the decision to launch <em>Challenger<\/em> on that day. The report provided recommendations to NASA on how to correct those deficiencies. With the modifications to the hardware completed and tested, shuttle flights resumed in September 1988, after a 32-month hiatus. The first seven missions after return to flight launched from Launch Pad 39B as workers refurbished Pad 39A.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_challenger_center_logo.png\" alt=\"51l_challenger_center_logo\" width=\"156\" height=\"244\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/challengerlearning.jpg\" alt=\"challengerlearning\" width=\"391\" height=\"244\"><br> <em>Left: Logo of the Challenger Center for Space Science and Education. Right: Schoolchildren simulating a space flight at the Challenger Learning Center-St Louis. Credits: Challenger Center for Space Science and Education.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An enduring legacy of the <em>Challenger<\/em> accident is the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.challenger.org\/\" rel=\"noopener\">Challenger Center for Space Science and Education<\/a>, formed in 1986 by the families of the STS-51L astronauts. The Challenger Center and its worldwide network of Challenger Learning Centers, the first opened in Houston in 1988, use space-themed learning and role-playing to cultivate students\u2019 skills for future success. These experiences enhance knowledge in science, technology, engineering, and math. To date, the Challenger Center has reached more than 5.5 million students globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_kimbrough_w_soccer_ball_iss050e034458.jpg\" alt=\"51l_kimbrough_w_soccer_ball\" width=\"246\" height=\"208\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_onizuka_soccer_ball_on_iss_iss050e033912.jpg\" alt=\"51l_onizuka_soccer_ball_on_iss_iss050e033912\" width=\"216\" height=\"208\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_onizuka_soccer_ball_inscription.jpg\" alt=\"51l_onizuka_soccer_ball_inscription\" width=\"282\" height=\"208\"><br> <em>Left: Expedition 50 Commander R. Shane Kimbrough with Ellison S. Onizuka\u2019s soccer ball aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Middle: Onizuka\u2019s soccer ball photographed in the Cupola of the ISS. Right: Close up of the faded inscription \u201cGood Luck Shuttle Crew\u201d on Onizuka\u2019s soccer ball.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Onizuka\u2019s daughter Janelle, then a soccer player at Clear Lake High School near JSC, gave him a ball, signed by her teammates, to take with him to space. After the accident, searchers found Onizuka\u2019s personal preference kit, including the ball, and returned it to his family who donated it to the school where it sat on display for 30 years. NASA astronaut <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/image-article\/soccer-ball-recovered-from-space-shuttle-challenger-flies-space-station\/\">R. Shane Kimbrough<\/a> took the ball with him to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2016, where it stayed for 173 days. After his return to Earth, during a football game halftime <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UJ4GTR1rayA\" rel=\"noopener\">ceremony<\/a>, Kimbrough returned the soccer ball to the Onizuka family, who in turn donated it to Clear Lake High School, where it remains on display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_morgan_sts_118_s118e09271.jpg\" alt=\"51l_morgan_sts_118_s118e09271\" width=\"274\" height=\"205\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_2004_educator_astronauts_jsc2004e45089.jpg\" alt=\"51l_2004_educator_astronauts\" width=\"307\" height=\"205\"><br> <em>Left: Mission Specialist Barbara R. Morgan during the STS-118 mission. Right: Educator astronauts Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, left, Richard R. Arnold, and Joseph M. Acaba during weightlessness training.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the wake of the <em>Challenger<\/em> accident, in 1990 NASA cancelled the Teacher in Space program, by which time Morgan had returned to teach in Idaho but maintained contact with the space agency. In 1998, NASA selected her as a mission specialist, and she flew aboard STS-118, a flight to the ISS in August 2007. That same year, NASA introduced the Educator Astronaut program, in which the agency selected qualified teachers as full-time astronauts instead of payload specialists. In the 2004 astronaut selection, the agency chose Joseph M. Acaba, Richard R. Arnold, and Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger as the first three educator astronauts. All three completed space shuttle missions, and Acaba and Arnold also flew long-duration missions aboard the ISS. In December 2020, NASA named Acaba to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/news-release\/nasa-names-artemis-team-of-astronauts-eligible-for-early-moon-missions\/ \">team of astronauts<\/a> eligible for missions to the Moon in the Artemis program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_forever_remembered_at_ksc_overview.jpg\" alt=\"51l_forever_remembered_at_ksc_overview.\" width=\"424\" height=\"167\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/51l_forever_remembered_at_ksc_challenger.jpg\" alt=\"51l_forever_remembered_at_ksc_challenger\" width=\"165\" height=\"167\"><br> <em>Left: Overview of the \u201cForever Remembered\u201d exhibit at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Right: A section of the fuselage recovered from space shuttle <\/em>Challenger<em>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/kennedy\/forever-remembered-shares-enduring-lessons-of-challenger-columbia\/\">Forever Remembered<\/a>\u201d, a collaborative exhibit between NASA and the families of the astronauts lost in the <em>Challenger<\/em> and <em>Columbia<\/em> accidents, opened at the KSC Visitor Complex in 2015. The memorial honors the crews, pays tribute to the spacecraft, and emphasizes the importance of learning from the past. Displays include personal belongings from each of the crew members and recovered pieces from both <em>Challenger<\/em> and <em>Columbia<\/em>. Also at the KSC Visitor Complex, the names of the seven astronauts lost in the <em>Challenger<\/em> accident are engraved on the Space Mirror Memorial.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-cover \"><a href=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=1280&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" rel=\"noopener\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"1920\" src=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=1280&h=1920&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"The names of the 7 astronauts lost in the Challenger accident engraved on the Space Mirror Memorial\" style=\"transform: scale(1.3); transform-origin: 14% 18%; object-position: 14% 18%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=1280&h=1920&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1280w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=200&h=300&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 200w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=768&h=1152&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 768w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=683&h=1025&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 683w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=1024&h=1536&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 1024w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=267&h=401&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 267w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=400&h=600&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 400w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=600&h=900&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 600w, https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012\/KSC-20200130-PH-KLS01_0012~large.jpg?w=800&h=1200&fit=crop&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\"><em>The names of the seven astronauts lost in the <\/em>Challenger<em> accident, engraved on the Space Mirror Memorial at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex<\/em>.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>To honor the astronauts lost in the <em>Challenger<\/em> accident, as well as those lost in the Apollo 1 fire and the <em>Columbia<\/em> accident, every year at the end of January, NASA holds a Day of Remembrance. The day allows NASA employees to reflect not only on the lives lost but also on the circumstances that led to the accidents and the resulting changes to NASA\u2019s operations and safety culture. It is also a time to ensure that everyone does their utmost to prevent future tragedies from happening through a heightened culture of safety and excellence.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 article_a hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-credits-and-details\">\n<section class=\"padding-x-0 padding-top-5 padding-bottom-2 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-2 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Share<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"social-icons social-icons-round\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-x\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/intent\/tweet?via=NASA&text=35%20Years%20Ago%3A%20Remembering%20Challenger%20and%20Her%20Crew&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fhistory%2F35-years-ago-remembering-challenger-and-her-crew%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on X.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"1200\" height=\"1227\" viewBox=\"0 0 1200 1227\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M714.163 519.284L1160.89 0H1055.03L667.137 450.887L357.328 0H0L468.492 681.821L0 1226.37H105.866L515.491 750.218L842.672 1226.37H1200L714.137 519.284H714.163ZM569.165 687.828L521.697 619.934L144.011 79.6944H306.615L611.412 515.685L658.88 583.579L1055.08 1150.3H892.476L569.165 687.854V687.828Z\" fill=\"white\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-facebook\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fhistory%2F35-years-ago-remembering-challenger-and-her-crew%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on Facebook.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M9 8h-3v4h3v12h5v-12h3.642l.358-4h-4v-1.667c0-.955.192-1.333 1.115-1.333h2.885v-5h-3.808c-3.596 0-5.192 1.583-5.192 4.615v3.385z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-linkedin\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nasa.gov%2Fhistory%2F35-years-ago-remembering-challenger-and-her-crew%2F\" aria-label=\"Share on LinkedIn.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M4.98 3.5c0 1.381-1.11 2.5-2.48 2.5s-2.48-1.119-2.48-2.5c0-1.38 1.11-2.5 2.48-2.5s2.48 1.12 2.48 2.5zm.02 4.5h-5v16h5v-16zm7.982 0h-4.968v16h4.969v-8.399c0-4.67 6.029-5.052 6.029 0v8.399h4.988v-10.131c0-7.88-8.922-7.593-11.018-3.714v-2.155z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"social-icon social-icon-rss\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"\/feed\/\" aria-label=\"Subscribe to RSS feed.\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 800 800\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><path d=\"M493 652H392c0-134-111-244-244-244V307c189 0 345 156 345 345zm71 0c0-228-188-416-416-416V132c285 0 520 235 520 520z\"\/><circle cx=\"219\" cy=\"581\" r=\"71\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"heading-14\">Details<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row margin-bottom-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading\">Last Updated<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-8\">Sep 22, 2023<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-5 padding-right-4 margin-bottom-5 desktop:margin-bottom-0\"><div class=\"padding-top-3 border-top-1px border-color-carbon-black \"><div class=\"margin-bottom-2\"><h2 class=\"heading-14\">Related Terms<\/h2><\/div><ul class=\"article-tags\"><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/\">NASA History<\/a><\/li><li class=\"article-tag\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/mission\/sts-51l\/\">STS-51L<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\t<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"nasa-gb-align-full width-full maxw-full padding-x-3 padding-y-0 hds-module hds-module-full wp-block-nasa-blocks-related-articles\">\t\t<section class=\"hds-related-articles padding-x-0 padding-y-3 desktop:padding-top-7 desktop:padding-bottom-9\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"w-100 grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0 text-align-left\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-4\"><h2 style=\"max-width: 100%;\" class=\"width-full w-full maxw-full\">Explore More<\/h2><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-row grid-container maxw-widescreen padding-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/flag-day-2024-one-small-flags-incredible-journey\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=300,225 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=768,576 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=400,300 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=600,450 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/flag-day-2024-11-us-flag-after-demo-2-mission-arrival-1.jpg?resize=900,675 900w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">7 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">Flag Day 2024 \u2013 One Small Flag\u2019s Incredible Journey<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t4 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/55-years-ago-manned-orbiting-laboratory-cancellation\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mol-cancellation-4-mol-group-1-astronauts.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mol-cancellation-4-mol-group-1-astronauts.jpg 424w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mol-cancellation-4-mol-group-1-astronauts.jpg?resize=300,212 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mol-cancellation-4-mol-group-1-astronauts.jpg?resize=400,283 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">10 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">55 Years Ago: Manned Orbiting Laboratory Cancellation<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t6 days ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"grid-col-12 desktop:grid-col-4 margin-bottom-4 desktop:margin-bottom-0 desktop:padding-right-3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/55-years-ago-star-trek-final-episode-airs-relationship-with-nasa-endures\/\" class=\"color-carbon-black\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"hds-cover-wrapper cover-hover-zoom bg-carbon-black minh-mobile\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"hds-media-background  \"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"217\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg?w=300\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg?resize=300,217 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg?resize=768,555 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg?resize=400,289 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/star-trek-final-episode-13-armstrong-at-doohan-farewell-anne-cusack-la-times-2004.jpg?resize=600,434 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"padding-right-0 desktop:padding-right-10\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"subheading margin-bottom-1\">15 min read<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"margin-bottom-1\"><h3 class=\"related-article-title\">55 Years Ago: Star Trek Final Episode Airs, Relationship with NASA Endures<\/h3><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"display-flex flex-align-center label related-article-label margin-bottom-1 color-carbon-60\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"display-flex flex-align-center margin-right-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg version=\"1.1\" class=\"square-2 margin-right-1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" width=\"16px\" height=\"16px\" viewBox=\"0 0 16 16\" style=\"enable-background:new 0 0 16 16;\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><g><g><path d=\"M8,0C3.5,0-0.1,3.7,0,8.2C0.1,12.5,3.6,16,8,16c4.4,0,8-3.6,8-8C16,3.5,12.4,0,8,0z M8,15.2 C4,15.2,0.8,12,0.8,8C0.8,4,4,0.8,8,0.8c3.9,0,7.2,3.2,7.2,7.1C15.2,11.9,12,15.2,8,15.2z\"\/><path d=\"M5.6,12c0.8-0.8,1.6-1.6,2.4-2.4c0.8,0.8,1.6,1.6,2.4,2.4c0-2.7,0-5.3,0-8C8.8,4,7.2,4,5.6,4 C5.6,6.7,5.6,9.3,5.6,12z\"\/><\/g><\/g><\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Article<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2 weeks ago\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The year 1986 was shaping up to be the most ambitious one yet for NASA\u2019s Space Shuttle Program. The agency\u2019s plans called for up to 15 missions, including the first flight from the West Coast launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Other important missions included the launch of two planetary spacecraft with [...]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":171291,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2671,11789],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[12664],"coauthors":[11996],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"35 Years Ago: Remembering Challenger and Her Crew","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/35-years-ago-remembering-challenger-and-her-crew\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/35-years-ago-remembering-challenger-and-her-crew\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts_51l_crew_photo_s85-44253.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts_51l_crew_photo_s85-44253.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA History","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"John Uri"}],"creator":["John Uri"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["Missions","Space Shuttle","STS-51L","NASA History"],"dateCreated":"2021-01-28T18:18:00Z","datePublished":"2021-01-28T18:18:00Z","dateModified":"2023-09-22T16:48:50Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"35 Years Ago: Remembering Challenger and Her Crew\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/history\/35-years-ago-remembering-challenger-and-her-crew\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts_51l_crew_photo_s85-44253.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2021-01-28T18:18:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"Missions,Space Shuttle,STS-51L,NASA History\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"John Uri\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":15,"time_ago":"3 years","featured_image":{"id":171291,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/sts_51l_crew_photo_s85-44253.jpg","title":"sts_51l_crew_photo_s85-44253","alt":"sts_51l_crew_photo","caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168342"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/74"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168342"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168342\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":536343,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168342\/revisions\/536343"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/171291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168342"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168342"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=168342"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=168342"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=168342"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}