Instant Recall of a Sad Day in Space History

America was not exactly “at attention” on Jan. 28, 1986. Children were in school, grown-ups were at work. It was business as usual.

The launch of space shuttle Challenger was of only moderate interest to a nation now bored with the succession of uneventful sorties into space. NASA, in an attempt to recapture the thrill, had decided to include its first private citizen on Challenger’s 10th flight. On this day, 13 years ago, Sharon Christa McAuliffe and six crew members boarded the Challenger and strapped themselves in for liftoff.

Then, the unthinkable happened. Fifty-nine seconds into the flight, a tiny plume of black smoke appeared. Then the shuttle disintegrated. All aboard were killed.

Joe Garner, author of “We Interrupt This Broadcast” (Sourcebooks, $45), calls the Challenger disaster “a defining moment in the history of space exploration.” His book details 38 monumental tragedies, from the 1937 Hindenburg explosion to the death of Princess Diana--all of which remain forever etched in the memories of those alive at the time, he says.

“That’s because these extraordinary events happen on seemingly ordinary days,” Garner says. “So there’s the huge element of surprise that deeply etches the event in people’s memories. . . . That kind of experience is so rare that we remember exactly where we were and what we were doing until the day we die.”

On most days, local business people and tourists barely notice the 15-foot-tall memorial of Challenger in Little Tokyo. But most remember exactly where they were on that tragic morning. We stopped some passersby to ask their recollections on this sad anniversary.

Jim Pike, 52, management consultant, West L.A.: “I was at work--a place that leased electronic equipment to firms involved in space exploration. But the launches had become so routine that we didn’t pay much attention. It was a huge shock. We knew immediately that they had all died. That changed me. It made me realize that lives are at risk, that these [astronauts] are hanging on a thin thread each time, that there’s nothing routine about it.”

Michelle Reed, 29, chemical engineering student, Montebello: “I was in chemistry class at Montebello High School. We got to a room with a TV. Nobody knew if the astronauts were alive or dead. Even the TV people didn’t know their status.”

Sonia Lopez, 24, student, El Monte: “I was in sixth grade. We didn’t understand what was going on; we only knew something bad had happened. I think the teachers didn’t want to get into it with us. As we got home, more details came out on TV, and we understood more. There were no tears that I remember. Later, I went to Edwards Air Force Base as part of a Sister Cities convention, and we saw a model of a space shuttle. That’s when I realized exactly what had exploded and tried to picture the astronauts in it. It was difficult to imagine.”

Devin Shelby, 36, administrator, Van Nuys: “I remember exactly. I was in the library at grad school. There were six TVs on for the launch, and a bunch of people watching. Suddenly there was total silence. Disbelief. We wanted to see [the replays] again and again. I think about that day whenever I hear there are individuals going into space. It makes me glad to know there are people with the right stuff, who have the courage to take the risks. Without people like that, our country couldn’t progress.”

Dan O’Neil, 47, paralegal, Alhambra: “I was at the dentist. Suddenly, the receptionist and nurses were talking about it. I’m not even sure I knew there was a space launch that morning until [the shuttle] exploded.”

Stephanie Di Carlo, actress, Los Feliz: “I watched it that day on TV, but I didn’t believe it. It went ‘puff.’ Not like anything bad--not like an explosion. Just like maybe a regular part of the [blastoff]. It was hard to realize what had happened.”