Photos: Remembering Challenger disaster in 38 photos

Image 0 of 45

FILE - This photo provided by NASA shows the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger mission 51L. All seven members of the 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 Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik. (NASA via AP) — Space Shuttle Challenger FILE - This photo provided by NASA shows the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger mission 51L. All seven members of the 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 Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik. (NASA via AP) (AP)

FILE - In this Sept. 13, 1985 file photo, Christa McAuliffe tries out the commander's seat on the flight deck of a shuttle simulator at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Thirty-two years after the Challenger disaster, a pair of teachers turned astronauts on the International Space Station will pay tribute to McAuliffe by carrying out her science classes. (AP Photo) — Space Shuttle Challenger FILE - In this Sept. 13, 1985 file photo, Christa McAuliffe tries out the commander's seat on the flight deck of a shuttle simulator at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Thirty-two years after the Challenger disaster, a pair of teachers turned astronauts on the International Space Station will pay tribute to McAuliffe by carrying out her science classes. (AP Photo) (RC/AP)

FILE - In this Jan. 27, 1986 file picture, the crew members of space shuttle Challenger flight 51-L, leave their quarters for the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. From foreground are commander Francis Scobee, Mission Spl. Judith Resnik, Mission Spl. Ronald McNair, Payload Spl. Gregory Jarvis, Mission Spl. Ellison Onizuka, teacher Christa McAuliffe and pilot Michael Smith. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) — Space Shuttle Challenger FILE - In this Jan. 27, 1986 file picture, the crew members of space shuttle Challenger flight 51-L, leave their quarters for the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. From foreground are commander Francis Scobee, Mission Spl. Judith Resnik, Mission Spl. Ronald McNair, Payload Spl. Gregory Jarvis, Mission Spl. Ellison Onizuka, teacher Christa McAuliffe and pilot Michael Smith. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) (Steve Helber/AP)

FILE - In this Jan. 28, 1986 file photo, four crew members of the space shuttle Challenger walk from their quarters at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, en route to the launch pad. From foreground are pilot Mike Smith, school teacher Christa McAuliffe, mission specialist Ellison Onizuka and payload specialist Gregory Jarvis. Thirty-two years after the Challenger disaster, a pair of teachers turned astronauts on the International Space Station will pay tribute to McAuliffe by carrying out her science classes. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) — Space Shuttle Challenger FILE - In this Jan. 28, 1986 file photo, four crew members of the space shuttle Challenger walk from their quarters at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, en route to the launch pad. From foreground are pilot Mike Smith, school teacher Christa McAuliffe, mission specialist Ellison Onizuka and payload specialist Gregory Jarvis. Thirty-two years after the Challenger disaster, a pair of teachers turned astronauts on the International Space Station will pay tribute to McAuliffe by carrying out her science classes. (AP Photo/Steve Helber) (STEVE HELBER/AP)

FILE - In this Jan. 28, 1986 file photo, the Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after lifting off from Kennedy Space Center, in Fla. All seven crew members died in the explosion, which was blamed on faulty o-rings in the shuttle's booster rockets. Bob Ebeling had spent three decades filled with guilt over not stopping the explosion of Challenger, but found relief in the weeks before his death Monday, March 21, 2016, at age 89. NPR reports Ebeling had been a booster rocket engineer at a NASA contractor during the launch. He tried to convince them to postpone it, saying the cold temperatures could cause the shuttle to explode. (AP Photo/Bruce Weaver, File) — Space Shuttle Challenger FILE - In this Jan. 28, 1986 file photo, the Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after lifting off from Kennedy Space Center, in Fla. All seven crew members died in the explosion, which was blamed on faulty o-rings in the shuttle's booster rockets. Bob Ebeling had spent three decades filled with guilt over not stopping the explosion of Challenger, but found relief in the weeks before his death Monday, March 21, 2016, at age 89. NPR reports Ebeling had been a booster rocket engineer at a NASA contractor during the launch. He tried to convince them to postpone it, saying the cold temperatures could cause the shuttle to explode. (AP Photo/Bruce Weaver, File) (Bruce Weaver/AP)

FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 1, 1986 file photo, customer David Kimball of Manchester, N.H. reacts as store employees Lynne Beck of Salisbury, N.H. and Lisa Olson, far right, of Manchester, N.H., embrace each other as they watch the Houston memorial service for the astronauts who died in the space shuttle Challenger explosion on a television in a store in Concord, N.H. Pictured on the television screen are family members of one of the astronauts. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) — Space Shuttle Challenger FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 1, 1986 file photo, customer David Kimball of Manchester, N.H. reacts as store employees Lynne Beck of Salisbury, N.H. and Lisa Olson, far right, of Manchester, N.H., embrace each other as they watch the Houston memorial service for the astronauts who died in the space shuttle Challenger explosion on a television in a store in Concord, N.H. Pictured on the television screen are family members of one of the astronauts. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) (Charles Krupa/AP)

The giant salvage ship, the Stener Workhorse comes to port as storm clouds darken overhead and waves crash against the jetties at Port Canaveral, Florida on Friday, March 14, 1986. The Stener Workhorse was one of the largest ships being used for salvage work in an area where Space Shuttle Challenger crashed into the sea following the explosion that ripped it apart on January 28th. (AP Photo/Thom Baur) — Space Shuttle Challenger The giant salvage ship, the Stener Workhorse comes to port as storm clouds darken overhead and waves crash against the jetties at Port Canaveral, Florida on Friday, March 14, 1986. The Stener Workhorse was one of the largest ships being used for salvage work in an area where Space Shuttle Challenger crashed into the sea following the explosion that ripped it apart on January 28th. (AP Photo/Thom Baur) (Thom Baur/AP)

Workmen at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, continue the process of storing the debris recovered from the Space Shuttle Challenger accident, Jan. 20, 1987, Cape Canaveral, Fla .The section being lowered into the unused Minuteman missile silo is part of the left side of the orbiter. The first anniversary of the accident will be on Wednesday of next week. (AP Photo/James Neihouse) — Space Shuttle Challenger Workmen at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, continue the process of storing the debris recovered from the Space Shuttle Challenger accident, Jan. 20, 1987, Cape Canaveral, Fla .The section being lowered into the unused Minuteman missile silo is part of the left side of the orbiter. The first anniversary of the accident will be on Wednesday of next week. (AP Photo/James Neihouse) (James Neihouse/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The front landing gear of the Space Shuttle Challenger as well as other structural components can be seen in this photograph taken in the storage area of the Kennedy Space Centers logistics building on June 12, 1986. NASA has recovered 35 percent of the shuttle, 50 percent of the solid rocket boosters and 15 percent of the external fuel tank. A NASA poster of the Shuttle is visible in the background of this photo. (AP Photo/James Neihouse) — Space Shuttle Challenger The front landing gear of the Space Shuttle Challenger as well as other structural components can be seen in this photograph taken in the storage area of the Kennedy Space Centers logistics building on June 12, 1986. NASA has recovered 35 percent of the shuttle, 50 percent of the solid rocket boosters and 15 percent of the external fuel tank. A NASA poster of the Shuttle is visible in the background of this photo. (AP Photo/James Neihouse) (James Neihouse/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

This is the portion of the right hand solid rocket booster at Kennedy Space Center, Florida on June 12, 1986, which is being blamed for the explosion on January 28, which destroyed the Space Shuttle Challenger and killed the 7 crew members. Visible in the lower left is the section which burned through and allowed hot gases to escape and burn into the External Fuel Tank. (AP Photo/James Neihouse) — Space Shuttle Challenger This is the portion of the right hand solid rocket booster at Kennedy Space Center, Florida on June 12, 1986, which is being blamed for the explosion on January 28, which destroyed the Space Shuttle Challenger and killed the 7 crew members. Visible in the lower left is the section which burned through and allowed hot gases to escape and burn into the External Fuel Tank. (AP Photo/James Neihouse) (James Neihouse/AP)

A Morton Thiokol worker washes a tarp covering a portion of a solid rocket booster that was retrieved from the floor of the Atlantic by the salvage ship, the Stena Workhorse, Wednesday, March 20, 1986, Port Canaveral, Fla. The segment might provide clues to NASA scientists as to the cause of the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger if the segment proves to be right hand booster. (AP Photo/Thom Baur) — Space Shuttle Challenger A Morton Thiokol worker washes a tarp covering a portion of a solid rocket booster that was retrieved from the floor of the Atlantic by the salvage ship, the Stena Workhorse, Wednesday, March 20, 1986, Port Canaveral, Fla. The segment might provide clues to NASA scientists as to the cause of the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger if the segment proves to be right hand booster. (AP Photo/Thom Baur) (Thom Baur/AP)

FILE - In this Feb. 11, 1986 file photo, former astronaut Neil Armstrong, a member of the presidential panel investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, listens to testimony before the commission in Washington, as David Acheson, a commission member, listens in the background. When Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, he captured the attention and admiration of millions of people around the world. Now fans of Armstrong and of space exploration have a chance to own artifacts and mementos that belonged to the modest man who became a global hero. The personal collection of Armstrong, who died in 2012, will be offered for sale in a series of auctions handled by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. (AP Photo/Scott Stewart, File) — Space Shuttle Challenger FILE - In this Feb. 11, 1986 file photo, former astronaut Neil Armstrong, a member of the presidential panel investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, listens to testimony before the commission in Washington, as David Acheson, a commission member, listens in the background. When Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, he captured the attention and admiration of millions of people around the world. Now fans of Armstrong and of space exploration have a chance to own artifacts and mementos that belonged to the modest man who became a global hero. The personal collection of Armstrong, who died in 2012, will be offered for sale in a series of auctions handled by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. (AP Photo/Scott Stewart, File) (Scott Stewart/AP)

Richard Feynman, a Nobel physicist and a member of the presidential commission investigating the Space Shuttle accident, shows reporters a demonstration he tried putting a piece of the shuttle "O-ring" in a cup of ice water for a few seconds, causing as he said "No resilience in this particular material" when the temperature reached 32 degrees, Feb. 11, 1986. Feynman raised the possibility that cold, pre-launch weather might have figured in the failures in the seal. Feynman talked to reporters at a lunch break of the commission meeting in Washington. (AP Photo/Scott Stewart) — Space Shuttle Challenger Richard Feynman, a Nobel physicist and a member of the presidential commission investigating the Space Shuttle accident, shows reporters a demonstration he tried putting a piece of the shuttle "O-ring" in a cup of ice water for a few seconds, causing as he said "No resilience in this particular material" when the temperature reached 32 degrees, Feb. 11, 1986. Feynman raised the possibility that cold, pre-launch weather might have figured in the failures in the seal. Feynman talked to reporters at a lunch break of the commission meeting in Washington. (AP Photo/Scott Stewart) (Scott Stewart/AP)

In this Tuesday, July 21, 2015, photo, the left side body panel of space shuttle Challenger is displayed in a glass case at the "Forever Remembered" exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Challenger's wreckage _ all 118 tons of it, salvaged from the Atlantic _ was buried in a pair of former missile silos, 90 feet deep. The chamber containing this particular fuselage section had never been opened _ until the exhibit began to take shape. (AP Photo/John Raoux) — Space Shuttle Challenger In this Tuesday, July 21, 2015, photo, the left side body panel of space shuttle Challenger is displayed in a glass case at the "Forever Remembered" exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Challenger's wreckage _ all 118 tons of it, salvaged from the Atlantic _ was buried in a pair of former missile silos, 90 feet deep. The chamber containing this particular fuselage section had never been opened _ until the exhibit began to take shape. (AP Photo/John Raoux) (John Raoux/AP)

January 28, 2024 at 8:09 am EST

Latest Photo Galleries

PHOTOS: Brush fire burns nearly 25 acres in north Georgia

PHOTOS: Brush fire burns nearly 25 acres in north Georgia

December 24, 2025 at 10:28 am EST

PHOTOS: See the state’s best small town to visit for Christmas

PHOTOS: See the state’s best small town to visit for Christmas

December 23, 2025 at 1:02 pm EST

REMEMBER THIS? Photos of The Pink Pig

REMEMBER THIS? Photos of The Pink Pig

December 22, 2025 at 6:46 pm EST

PHOTOS: Meet some new faces at Zoo Atlanta

PHOTOS: Meet some new faces at Zoo Atlanta

December 19, 2025 at 10:35 pm EST

PHOTOS: Georgia gang raids net over $200K in cash, 30 pounds of drugs

PHOTOS: Georgia gang raids net over $200K in cash, 30 pounds of drugs

December 19, 2025 at 11:37 am EST

PHOTOS: The Masters, Waffle House among winning entries in National Gingerbread House Competition at Omni Grove Park Inn

PHOTOS: The Masters, Waffle House among winning entries in National Gingerbread House Competition at Omni Grove Park Inn

December 16, 2025 at 12:14 pm EST

A look back to when we celebrated the 1972 Miami Dolphins

A look back to when we celebrated the 1972 Miami Dolphins

December 16, 2025 at 12:00 am EST

PHOTOS: The assassination of Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, 25 years later

PHOTOS: The assassination of Sheriff-elect Derwin Brown, 25 years later

December 15, 2025 at 6:30 am EST

Metro Atlanta welcomes Hanukkah

Metro Atlanta welcomes Hanukkah

December 14, 2025 at 8:44 pm EST

PHOTOS: Georgia officers return home after being shot while serving search warrant

PHOTOS: Georgia officers return home after being shot while serving search warrant

December 11, 2025 at 12:43 pm EST