Today we remember the seven lives lost in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion exactly 40 years ago. We went back into our archival footage to find out how Central Florida locals reacted to the disaster back in January of 1986. | WESH 2 News

REMEMBERING THE CHALLENGER CREW 💔 On Jan. 28, 1986, seven astronauts were killed when the Challenger space shuttle exploded shortly after launch. Among those on board was New Hampshire high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who had been chosen by NASA to be the first teacher in space. The other six crew members were payload specialist Gregory Jarvis, mission specialist Judith A. Resnik, mission commander Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, mission specialist Ronald E. McNair, pilot Mike J. Smith and miss

Adam Higginbotham's minute-by-minute account of the Challenger disaster had us on the edge of our seats. He chatted with us earlier this year about the Challenger crew's mindset on launch day--and why they all thought it was going to be postponed. | History in Five