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FEATUREFriday 29 January 2016
US marks 30th anniversary of shuttle Challenger disaster
MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida
(AP) — Dozens of educators
who competed alongside
Christa McAuliffe to
become the first teacher in
space gathered Thursday
to remember the seven
astronauts who perished
aboard Challenger 30
years ago.
They still believe strongly
in what McAuliffe hoped
to accomplish aboard
Challenger before disaster
struck during liftoff on Jan.
28, 1986.
Names of the Challenger
dead were read during
the memorial service.
The former astronaut
reciting the names of all 24
astronauts killed in the line
of duty over the years, Jon
McBride, had to fight back
tears.
Close to 40 of the 113
remaining semifinalists for
teacher-in-space traveled
to Cape Canaveral for the
anniversary, the biggest
30 years since Challenger: New voice at astronauts’ memorial
MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.
(AP) — As families of the
Challenger astronauts who
died 30 years ago gather
with NASA to mark the
space shuttle accident’s
30th anniversary, there’s a
new voice to address the
crowd.
June Scobee Rodgers —
the widow of Challenger
commander Dick Scobee
and a longtime spokes-
woman for the group — is
passing the torch to her
daughter, Kathie Scobee
Fulgham.
Fulgham will be on the
stage for Thursday morn-
ing’s ceremony at the Ken-
nedy Space Center Visitor
Complex. And making a
rare appearance in the
audience will be school-
teacher Christa McAuliffe’s
son, Scott, with his own
family.
“It’s going to be wonderful
to watch the pages turn,”
Rodgers said earlier this
week. The second genera-
tion “can now speak for
our family and speak for
the nation.”
For the seven astronauts’

to 400 and included family
members of astronauts
killed in all three of NASA’s
spacecraft tragedies:
Challenger; Columbia’s
catastrophic descent on
Feb. 1, 2003; and the Apollo
1 fire on Jan. 27, 1967.
Steven McAuliffe still
declines interviews about
his late wife Christa, but he
noted in a statement that
although 30 years have
passed, “Challenger will
always be an event that
occurred just recently.
Our thoughts and memories
of Christa will always be
fresh and comforting.”
A leak in the right booster
doomed the ship; unusually
cold weather that morning
left Challenger’s booster
This photo shows the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger mission 51L. All seven members of the rockets with stiff O-ring
crew were killed when the shuttle exploded during launch on Jan. 28, 1986. Front row from left are
Michael J. Smith, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, and Ronald E. McNair. Front row from left are Ellison seals.
Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik.
Besides Christa McAuliffe,
(NASA via AP)
the Challenger dead
include pilot Michael Smith,
gathering ever for a NASA son, Scott, 39, took part there with him, ages 6 and Judith Resnik, Dick Scobee
memorial like this. in the ceremony. He said 8, made it easier. , Ronald McNair, Ellison
Another first: McAuliffe’s having his own two sons The crowd numbered close Onizuka and Gregory
Jarvis.q
June Scobee Rodgers, widow of Dick Scobee, commander loved ones, Jan. 28, 1986, cially noteworthy.
of space shuttle Challenger, looks upward during the playing remains fresh in their minds. Along with the other Chal-
of the National Anthem at a remembrance ceremony for the Steven McAuliffe, a feder- lenger families, Rodgers
Challenger explosion in Cape Canaveral, Fla. On the 30th anni- al judge in Concord, New established the Challeng-
versary of the space shuttle Challenger accident, June Scobee Hampshire, still declines in- er Center for Space Sci-
Rodgers, longtime spokeswoman for the families of the lost as- terviews about his late wife ence Education just three
tronauts, is passing the torch to daughter Kathie. Christa, who was poised to months after the shuttle
become the first school- disintegrated in the Florida
(AP Photo/John Raoux) teacher in space. But he sky. Unusually cold weather
noted in a statement that that morning left Challeng-
although 30 years have er’s booster rockets with
passed, “Challenger will stiff O-ring seals; a leak in
always be an event that the right booster doomed
occurred just recently. Our the ship.
thoughts and memories of Today, there are more
Christa will always be fresh than 40 Challenger Learn-
and comforting.” ing Centers focusing on
McAuliffe said he’s pleased science, technology, engi-
“Christa’s goals have been neering and math, mostly
largely accomplished in in the U.S. More are being
that she has inspired gener- built.
ations of classroom teach- “They’re not just a field trip
ers and students.” She for kids. They’re actually
would be proud, he noted, lessons learned,” said Rod-
of the Challenger Learning gers, an educator who lives
Centers. in Chattanooga, Tennes-
McAuliffe is presiding over see. “That’s why they’ve
a trial this week in Con- lasted.”
cord, and so son Scott will McAuliffe’s backup, Barba-
represent the family, part ra Morgan, a schoolteach-
of the next-generation shift. er from Idaho, rocketed
Scott and his sister are now into orbit in 2007 aboard
in their 30s. The McAuliffes Endeavour as a fully trained
normally do not take part astronaut. Morgan was in-
in these NASA memorials, vited to speak Thursday at
so Scott’s presence is espe- Rodgers’ request. q