Remembering Southwest ISD’s lasting tribute to the Space Shuttle Challenger victims
Middle school students within San Antonio’s Southwest ISD, whether they know it or not, have paid tribute to the team that lost their lives in a tragedy that shocked the nation more than 30 years ago. The local school district continuously remembers those killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion after naming four of its schools after individuals killed in the mission, including the first teacher intended to go into space.
Millions of Americans may remember the explosion, which occurred just 73 seconds into the Challenger’s flight on January 28, 1986. The mission was to deploy a communications satellite and study Halley’s Comet while in orbit. The shuttle broke apart as it was ascending, caused by a mechanical failure in a rocket booster, and killed all seven crew members aboard.
The shuttle disintegrated above the Atlantic Ocean after taking off from the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida. It’s believed that the crew members may have survived the spacecraft’s initial breakup, but the impact into the ocean would have been impossible to survive.
Earlier this month, a large section of the shuttle, one of the biggest pieces discovered since the explosion, was found buried in the sand at the bottom of the ocean floor. A documentary explaining more about the discovery is set to premiere on the History Channel on Tuesday, November 22.
These are the Challenger crew members that Southwest ISD named schools after.
Christa McAuliffe
The mission was especially meaningful given that it was intended to be the first part of the Teacher in Space program. Christa McAuliffe was a social studies teacher in New Hampshire and served as a payload specialist for the mission. The launch and eventual disaster were covered by the media across the nation and were shown on live television. Because of the program, many schools showed the broadcast.
McAuliffe was selected from more than 11,000 applicants for the NASA Teacher in Space Project, which NASA hoped would increase the public’s interest in its Space Shuttle program. She was meant to become the first teacher to fly into space as part of the program and was selected for her “infectious enthusiasm.” The teacher had plans to conduct experiments and teach two lessons aboard the spacecraft.
Southwest ISD’s McAuliffe Middle School is one of numerous schools named in her honor.
Ronald McNair
Ronald Erwin McNair was a NASA astronaut and physicist with quite the resume and life story. As a child growing up in South Carolina, McNair refused to leave a segregated library without checking out his books. The police and his mother were eventually called and McNair was able to leave with his books. The building is now named after him.
His commitment to learning led him to becoming valedictorian at his high school and PhD degree in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, better known as MIT. Even before the disastrous mission, McNair was already nationally respected for his expertise in laser physics.
For the Challenger mission, McNair was one of three mission specialists on the crew. In another mission aboard the spacecraft in 1984, he had become the second Black man to fly into space. He was just 35 years old at the time of his death.
Judith Resnik
Judith Resnik made history in more ways than one. She was the fourth woman, second American woman, and first Jewish woman of any nationalist to fly into space. This should have been no surprise given that she was the sixteenth woman in the U.S. to receive a perfect score on the SAT exam.
Throughout her life, Resnik was recognized as a bright child with vast intellectual potential. In addition to being an electrical engineer, software engineer, biomedical engineer, and pilot, Resnik logged 145 hours in orbit as a NASA astronaut. She was selected to be part of NASA Astronaut Group 8, the first group to include women.
The Challenger disaster was her second Shuttle mission. Resnik was just 36 years old.
Dick Scobee
Francis Richard Scobee, known as Dick Scobee, was commander of the Challenger in its 1986 mission and is remembered as being a hero throughout his life. Before his days as an astronaut, Scobee was an engine mechanic at Kelly Air Force Base right here in San Antonio. When he wasn’t working, he attended San Antonio College and eventually earned a degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Arizona as well as attended flight school.
During the Vietnam War, he served as a combat aviator. In 1978, Scobee was selected for the NASA Astronaut Corps and in turn was part of several missions, including piloting the Challenger in 1984.
Many who knew Scobee agree that he likely did everything he could to save his crew and avoid the tragedy that was out of his control.
In addition to Scobee Middle School, Northside ISD’s Scobee Elementary School and San Antonio College’s Scobee Education Center & Planetarium are also named in his honor.
