I was a sophomore in high school when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 25 years ago on January 28, 1986. In the morning, the news spread throughout my school like a rumor that most people didn’t believe. By lunch time, it was confirmed, and TVs were set up where we could watch the news during lunch period. I remember everyone talking about how this was the “where-were-you-when-JFK-was-shot” moment of our generation. And it was, up until 9/11.

Making the event even more sad was the fact that a civilian teacher, Christa McAuliffe, was on board. Watching her parents react to seeing the Challenger disintegrate was heart-wrenching. Joy and pride turns to horror and disbelief in just a few seconds. While McAuliffe got the lion’s share of media coverage, the following crew members also lost their lives: Francis “Dick” Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, and Gregory Jarvis. May they all rest in peace.

Where were you when you heard about the Challenger disaster?