News Around Texas

History is not just about long-ago events. History is being made every day.

On this day in 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff. On board was Texas astronaut Judith Arlene Resnik. Seventeen years later (on Feb. 1, 2003) the space shuttle Columbia disentegrated over Texas as it prepared for landing. The vapor trail following the disaster was visible over much of the state, and many citizens took part in search and recovery efforts.

• Ask several people if they remember where they were when the Challenger and/or Columbia were lost. How did it affect or impact them?
• This would be a great time to plan a field trip to the Johnson Space Center in Houston (http://www.spacecenter.org/).
• Three space shuttles–Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavor–are still flying. The shuttle program was scheduled to retire this year (2010)–the final chapter in a significant era of history. Learn more about the history of the program and efforts by some to extend space shuttle flights.

This is history in the making!