Remembering the crew of STS-107: David Brown, Rick Husband, Laurel Clark, Kalpana Chawla, Michael Anderson, William McCool, and Ilan Ramon On February 1, 2003, the seven-astronaut crew was lost when Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during re-entry.

Forty years ago, Challenger’s STS‑51L mission lifted off with seven remarkable individuals aboard — explorers, engineers, educators, and pioneers. Francis “Dick” Scobee, Michael Smith, Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe brought curiosity, courage, and a shared belief in the power of discovery. The loss of Challenger on January 28, 1986, was a moment that changed NASA forever. It sparked deep reflection, hard lessons, and a renewed commitment to the safety and care of every crew who follows in their footsteps.

We remember the seven astronauts of STS‑51L: Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, Judith Resnik, Mike Smith, Dick Scobee, and Ron McNair. 40 years ago today, STS-51L ended in tragedy when Space Shuttle Challenger and crew were lost 73 seconds after liftoff.