The people in the Challenger disaster

More about the seven who trained, left their loved ones to go into space, and instead of having a great achievement, died in the Challenger accident.

Photo from CNN publication 

Space Shuttle Challenger crew members: Mission specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, Teacher-in-Space 

participant Sharon Christa McAuliffe, payload specialist Greg Jarvis and mission specialist 

Judy Resnick. Pilot Mike Smith, commander Dick Scobee and mission specialist Ron McNair.

There is a Space Shuttle Challenger memorial at Arlington National Cemetary in Virginia

I have too many other things pulling on my time and attention to give proper credit to these 7 heroes and heroines. But I may just get some space sometime to find out more about them.

Yesterday's anniversary of death of 7 people

Remembering the crew of the Challenger disaster.

Ad for the ABC TV-movie in 1990 - I'm going to find it and finally watch it!

All the write ups say we're remembering them. But they all focus on the disaster of the rockets, and nonw* that I've seen today say a thing about the 7 humans who died that day. Nor how they died.

All the focus of the investigations was on determining what failed in the rocket.

I remember in 1986 standing in the U of Florida computer lab watching the rocket (and capsule with the astronauts) flare out of control on a TV screen on one of those rolling carts. We all just stood there, most of us with our hands to our mouths in shock, as the event was replayed over and over.

I know Christa McAuliffe became the topic of many broadcasts in the next few days (weeks probably.)  A school teacher died in a space mission.

But who were the others? And why is it so hard today to find information on their lives? I only found Wikipedia listing the places they were buried, when searching for the Challenger information.

But there are links for each of their names. So I'm going to go read about these people. Like my ancestors, they may be gone, but they are the brave people who dared to do something great and gave their lives trying.

Judith Resnik
Dick Scobee 
Capt. Michael J. Smith
Mission Specialist Lt Col Ellison Onizuka
Ronald McNair
Christa McAuliffe
Gregory Jarvis 

I'll hopefully post my impressions about each of these astronauts here in the next few days.

* Yes, I did find one site on FaceBook which mentioned the people and their job on the space shuttle.