NASA Marks 25th Anniversary of Challenger Disaster

NASA officials will gather at Kennedy Space Center today to mark the 25th anniversary of one of the worst disasters in the history of space travel. The space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after take-off on Jan. 28, 1986, killing all seven astronauts aboard. The widow of Challenger commander Dick Scobee will be the featured speaker at today's ceremony, AP reports.

NASA chief Charlie Bolden paid tribute to all 17 of the agency's fallen astronauts at a ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery yesterday, reports the Orlando Sentinel. "They've all left their legacy of exploration for us to follow. They all lived and breathed NASA," said Bolden, a former astronaut. "They would tell you, if they came here today, to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so the things we learn and the things we do benefit all humankind." (More Challenger stories.)