It was 25 years ago today that the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after takeoff. 7 crew members were killed in the disaster after the shuttle disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean. The accident happened just off the coast of central Florida at exactly 11:38am EST.
Today, millions of people all over the world still mourn the death of individuals who gave their lives to make the world a better place.
Among the 7 dead were Commander Francis R Scobee and crew members Gregory B Jarvis, Ronald E MCNair, Ellison S Onizuka, Judith A Resnik, Michael J Smith and Christa McAuliffe – the first civilian astronaut (she was a high school teacher in New Hampshire) who trained to become part of the crew.
A study conducted after the incident revealed that 85 percent of Americans surveyed were aware of the explosion within one hour of the disaster.
You can see a video of the disaster here.
Here are the photos of the seven crew members on board that day:
*Click images to Enlarge
