Challenger Learning Center To Mark 40th Anniversary With Exhibits, Documentary And Legacy Campaign

The Challenger Learning Center in Tallahassee is inviting the public to join a month of commemorations in January 2026 as the nation marks the 40th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. The center will host exhibitions, hands-on programs inspired by Christa McAuliffe, and a family-endorsed screening of the documentary Final Flight, while launching a fundraising effort to preserve the crew's legacy.

Center Director Alan Hanstein said the Challenger tragedy remains a seminal moment in U.S. history that reshaped thinking about spaceflight and safety. "These moments changed the way we think about something — and this case really changed the way we thought about space," Hanstein said.

Opened in March 2003 as the official K–12 outreach facility of the Florida A&M University–Florida State University College of Engineering, the Challenger Learning Center serves an estimated 40,000–60,000 students annually. In addition to student programs, the center offers an IMAX theater and planetarium experiences for the public.

Challenger Legacy Campaign

To mark the 40th anniversary, the center has launched the Challenger Legacy Campaign, a fundraising initiative to support upgrades and new exhibits. According to the center, campaign goals include:

• Upgrading the mission control facility to enhance student simulations and learning experiences;
• Creating a permanent exhibit honoring the seven Challenger astronauts;
• Developing new educational programming that emphasizes the mission's lessons about science, teaching, and safety culture.

More information, including ways to support the campaign, is available at challengertlh.com/legacy.

A Brief Retelling Of Jan. 28, 1986

On the morning of Jan. 28, 1986, millions of Americans — especially schoolchildren — tuned in to watch the launch of Space Shuttle Challenger from Kennedy Space Center. Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher selected for NASA's Teacher in Space Project, was aboard and expected to inspire a generation.

Seventy-three seconds after liftoff, a catastrophic failure occurred in Challenger's right solid rocket booster. Cold overnight temperatures caused rubber O-rings to lose resiliency and allow hot gases to breach the external fuel tank, which led to the shuttle's breakup and the loss of all seven crew members: Commander Dick Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Mission Specialists Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka and Judith Resnik, Payload Specialist Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. NASA commentator Steve Nesbitt's on-air remark, "obviously a major malfunction," captured the immediate shock of viewers nationwide.

The Rogers Commission later concluded that NASA managers had accepted the launch despite engineers' warnings about the risks of launching in unusually cold temperatures; schedule pressure and flawed risk assessment were cited as key failures. Shuttle flights were grounded until 1988 while safety changes were implemented. The disaster profoundly affected Florida's Space Coast and led NASA to substantially revise its safety culture. The agency now honors the fallen each January with a Day of Remembrance.

January 2026 Events At The Challenger Learning Center

• Jan. 10, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. — SCIturday: Christa's Lost Lessons: Free, hands-on activities inspired by Christa McAuliffe's original lesson plans designed to spark curiosity in students.
• Jan. 11, 6–7 p.m. — Storytime Under the Stars: A special book reading exploring the story of the Challenger mission and the people behind it.
• Jan. 12, 6–9 p.m. — Challenger: The Final Flight Documentary Screening: A free, powerful screening of a film endorsed by several crew families.
• Jan. 18, 4 p.m. — Book Reading at Midtown Reader (1123 Thomasville Rd): A public reading from Adam Higginbotham's Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space.
• Jan. 28, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. — 40th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony: A public memorial featuring a bell-ringing tribute, remarks from Challenger supporters, and archival materials honoring the crew.

A complete schedule and details about the Challenger Legacy Campaign are available at challengertlh.com/legacy.

Reporting Note: This story includes previously published reporting by USA TODAY and reporting for the Tallahassee Democrat by Arianna Otero.