On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Cape Canaveral, killing all seven crew members, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. This is original Eyewitness News coverage from that day. What are your memories of that sad day in American history? | ABC7NY

The NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded 40 years ago, on January 28, 1986, just 73 seconds after liftoff. The disaster claimed the lives of all seven astronauts aboard, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire who would have been the first civilian in space. “The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives,” President Regan said in an address to the nation that night. “We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them,

40 years ago this morning, the unthinkable happened: the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all 7 astronauts on board, including Christa McAuliffe, who was supposed to be the first teacher in space. School children watched in horror as the tragedy happened. This is original coverage from the Eyewitness News vault. | ABC7NY

Christa McAuliffe had hoped to inspire the young and the old to dream big and reach for the stars. 40 years after the Challenger shuttle disaster, we explore how her legacy lives on through exhibits at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center. Join us weeknights at 7p on WMUR | NH Chronicle