Yes, it was on this date in 1986 that the Challenger broke apart just 73 seconds after lift-off. This was that fateful mission where the first educator astronaut was chosen. The cause of the accident was a failed O-ring. I remember how the Space Shuttle program stopped for some time--almost three years.
What I didn't realize is that some of the astronauts evidently survived the initial explosion, but of course, none survived the cabin's hitting the Atlantic Ocean. I cannot imagine how horrible that would have been. There was no escape plan. And it is even worse to realize that this fatal flaw was known about since the 1970's.
I will never forget this date. I remember getting up and calling out to my mom who was hanging out laundry or something like that. And sadly, it was not the last Space Shuttle disaster.
For more information, please check out these sites:
http://space.about.com/cs/challenger/a/challenger.htm
http://www.space.com/10677-challenger-tragedy-overview.html
http://www.universetoday.com/71612/challenger-disaster/
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