35 years since Challenger launch disaster: ‘Never forgotten’
By MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA and others are marking the 35th anniversary of the Challenger launch disaster. Ceremonies were held at Kennedy Space Center and elsewhere Thursday to honor the seven killed shortly after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986. The pandemic kept this year’s remembrance more muted than usual. About 100 people gathered at Kennedy’s Space Mirror Memorial for the late morning ceremony, held almost exactly the same time as the accident. The widow of the Challenger commander observed the anniversary from her home in Tennessee. She says the presence of teacher Christa McAuliffe on the flight added to the crew’s legacy.