The Challenger Explosion

America’s tragedies and triumphs always end up on screen. Consider this—with the news cycle going full tilt with the ICE crisis in Minnesota, an interesting story flew under the radar—the 40th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion and its live broadcast on Jan. 28, 1986.

This ill-fated launch resulted in the deaths of all seven astronauts, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, and became a cultural touchstone for a generation. It was essentially the “Where were you when Kennedy was assassinated?” moment for Gen X—many of whom, like me, watched the doomed launch real-time at school. 

For those of us in Mrs. Rodkin’s seventh grade science class at Petaluma Junior High (a catch-all semester, which included everything from Bunsen burners, spitting on microscope slides, and (gulp) sex ed, the Challenger launch was intended to be an epochal educational moment. And it was—just not as anticipated. 

A blocky TV was wheeled in on a cart so our class could witness the historic broadc…