(WACO, Texas) – January 28, 1986 is one of those dates that people remember what they were doing and where they were.
The day is significant in the United States’ space exploration history because people were watching on television or in-person the Challenger STS-51L crew ascend over the Atlantic Ocean. But, tragedy occurred as astronauts Lt. Col. Francis “Dick” Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Judith A. Resnick, Ronald E. McNair, Elison S. Onizuka, Gregory B. Jarvis and astronaut-trained teacher Christa McAuliffe lost their lives.
The Challenger crew trained at NASA’s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston. Ties to Texas ran further: Smith did aviator training and received his wings in the late 1960s in Kingsville, according to the U.S. Air and Space Museum. Scobee enlisted in the U.S. Air Force in the 1950s and was a reciprocating engine mechanic at Kelly Air Force Base in San Antonio, according to the Astronauts Memorial Foundation. Onizuka lived in Clear Lake City.
President Ronald Reagan gave remarks at a memorial service for the astronauts on Jan. 31, 1986, at Johnson Space Center.
“Their truest testimony will not be in the words we speak, but in the way they led their lives and in the way they lost their lives — with dedication, honor, and an unquenchable desire to explore this mysterious and beautiful universe,” Reagan told attendees.
All of this was the backdrop for the not-for-profit Challenger Center for Space Science Education founded by the families of the fallen astronauts in 1986. There are more than 30 Challenger Learning Centers in the United States and Canada, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
“They went beyond a tragedy to make it something positive for students to learn,” said Amber Necessary, Texas State Technical College’s ISD (independent school district) and enrichment programs lead in Waco.
Necessary said she was four years old when the Challenger incident happened.
“I just remember it being kind of a big deal and all over the news and just watching it,” she said. “I remember it being a surreal thing watching those astronauts walking onto the shuttle and seeing the people having that big reaction and crying.”
There are three Challenger Learning Centers in Texas, with two hosted at TSTC campuses. The Harlingen site opened in January 2014 and the Waco location hosted its first group of students in January 2017.
In fiscal year 2025, Harlingen’s center had 46 missions and more than 1,800 visitors while Waco’s center had 47 missions and more than 1,000 participants.
Visitors at TSTC’s Challenger Learning Centers can participate in space-themed missions, visit the planetarium, and for young students and take part in the Autonaut Academy. Satellite challenges are also available. Professional development opportunities are available for TSTC and local industry partners.
“The Challenger Learning Center allows students to experience STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) through hands-on simulations that build problem-solving, teamwork and critical thinking skills,” said Ashley Contreras, TSTC’s ISD and enrichment programs lead in Harlingen. “These programs help students see STEM careers as attainable, spark long-term interest and support college and career readiness.”
Contreras said having a Challenger Learning Center in the Rio Grande Valley is significant because it brings immersive, high-quality STEM experiences that people of all ages can learn from.
Educators see the benefits of having access to the centers.
Heather Ibarra, an upper elementary science and environmental education teacher at Episcopal Day School in Brownsville, said her sixth-grade students have enjoyed their visits for about a decade.
“It’s easily one of the most impactful and anticipated learning experiences year after year,” she said. “It’s rewarding to see my students work as a team to complete a rigorous space mission simulation as if they were astronaut candidates themselves. It is a truly unique educational opportunity.”
Stephanie Hanover, a middle/upper school science teacher at Allen Academy in Bryan, said she remembered sitting in her school library in seventh grade watching the tragedy unfold. Today, she gets to take her students to Waco’s Challenger Learning Center to spark their own interest in space and science.
“Having this amazing program established in their (the astronauts) honor is such a tribute to the crew and such an opportunity for generations now of students to reach for the stars,” Hanover said.
For more information on TSTC’s Challenger Learning Centers, go to tstc.edu/college-readiness/challenger-learning-center/.
For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.