Challenger explodes-January 28, 1986

[Bob Nelson]

I was scheduled for an interview with the MBTA in downtown Boston.
This was a couple years after graduating from college. After the
interview, I had a quick sub over at Captain Nemo's in Kenmore Sq.
and they had the shuttle explosion coverage (CNN) on the TV. Overheard
on subway back to
Wonderland: "Well, they're not going to have that lesson in space after all."

It was sunny but very cold, bitter chill...as it was in Florida.

The science/space museum in Concord, NH is named after Christa
McAuliffe and also Alan Shepherd.
McAuliffe's saying was: "I touch the future. I teach!" At the museum,
on the walls there are cartoons
of McAuliffe and Shepherd talking to each other while wearing space
suits on the moon.

Reportedly there were many schools that had kids watching the launch
live as part of learning;
after the explosion ("obviously a major malfunction") teachers, etc.
had to deal with a traumatic
experience for their students.