Thirty years in the past, yet a memory so vivid. Tuesday, January 28, 2015, a horrific day for the United States. Only 73 seconds to change their fate, only 73 seconds pry the life from the hands of 7 unfortunate citizens.

With all of America watching,  the Nasa Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida only to explode over the Atlantic Ocean ending the lives of five astronauts and two payload specialists.

The cause of the tragic incident was the malfunction of an O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster when it failed to function at the time of liftoff. The failure of the O-ring allowed burning gas from the right solid rocket booster to reach outside and cause the other solid rocket booster to slightly malfunction and this led to the separation of the right solid rocket booster and consequently the demise of the expedition.

The souls involved in the incident will forever be remembered on this day and be honored for their courage. May they rest in peace, and may their families find peace in knowing that the courage of their loved one will not be forgotten.