Wednesday marked 40 years since the Space Shuttle Challenger was tragically destroyed during the launch of mission STS-51-L.
On Jan. 28, 1986, the seven astronauts on the Challenger lost their lives when the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center.
Among those killed was Akron native Judith Resnik, a NASA astronaut, who was the second American woman astronaut in space and the first Jewish American in space. Resnik was a Firestone High School graduate.
Others on the shuttle who lost their lives included commander Francis Scobee, pilot Michael Smith, mission specialist Ronald McNair, mission specialist Ellison Onizuka, payload specialist Gregory Jarvis and schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, who was set to become the first civilian sent to space by NASA.
On Wednesday, Cuyahoga County joined NASA Glenn in a moment of silence at 11:39 a.m., the same time the Challenger tragedy occurred.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine posted the following statement to Facebook, honoring Resnik and others who lost their lives 40 years ago:
