Tribute paid to crew of Challenger shuttle

THE United States paid tribute to the seven astronauts who died aboard the space shuttle Challenger - and to their legacy of learning - as it marked the 25th anniversary of the disaster that forever changed Nasa.

In a ceremony that reflected on the space agency's failings but also hailed its accomplishments, Nasa officials yesterday joined families of Challenger's crew to honour the decades of space education they inspired.

Speaking at the foot of a 50ft granite memorial at Kennedy Space Centre, Florida, June Scobee Rodgers - widow of Challenger's commander, Dick Scobee - recalled how she and others were "stunned to see the unspeakable unfold before our eyes" as Challenger exploded, 73 seconds into its mission, on 28 January, 1986.

"It's hard to believe that 25 years have passed since that fateful day," she said, explaining how the relatives later vowed to continue the work of the crew, whose members included Christa McAuliffe, 37, a mother of two who was to have become the first teacher in space.

"We needed to turn an unimaginable tragedy into a monumental triumph," she said.

Four million children have passed through space science education programmes at 51 Challenger Learning Centres set up by the crew's families.