BILLINGS — A former Montana resident still vividly remembers the moment 40 years ago when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded, killing all seven crew members, including teacher Christa McAuliffe.
Starr Emery was in fourth grade at an elementary school in New Hampshire when she watched the launch with her classmates on Jan. 28, 1986. The entire school had gathered in the library to witness what was supposed to be a historic moment.
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"As the Challenger took off, everyone was clapping and cheering," Emery said. "All of a sudden, there was a noise and everyone just got really silent. Like dead silent."
The shuttle exploded just 73 seconds after liftoff, instantly transforming celebration into tragedy.
"There's just no way to explain it. It was like everybody stopped breathing in the room," Emery said.
The disaster hit particularly close to home for Emery and her classmates, who knew McAuliffe personally. The teacher worked at the local high school, and Emery was childhood friends with McAuliffe's son.
"We grew up going to Christa's house. She was a teacher at the high school and well known by everyone in the community," Emery said.
Emery was close with McAuliffe's son and recalls how passionate the teacher was about the space mission. McAuliffe had been selected from more than 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space.
"She loved, loved, loved what she was going to do. She was very passionate about it and very excited and so we know that she passed away doing what she loved," Emery said.
Emery said she thinks about McAuliffe every year on the anniversary of the disaster, choosing to focus on celebrating a life rather than mourning a loss.
"For us, it was traumatic. It was the loss of essentially a family member and a close friend," Emery said.
Related:
NASA marks 35 years since Challenger explosion with 'Day of Remembrance'
