Spirit of Challenger astronauts lives on at learning center

Almost 25 years after the Challenger space shuttle exploded and killed the seven astronauts inside, about 200 people visited the Challenger Learning Center of Colorado Saturday for an open house in honor of those who died.

The space center, one of 47 across the country, is a “living memorial” to the victims and their work to inspire interest in math and science among American students. The Challenger exploded shortly after liftoff on Jan. 28, 1986 and each of the centers plans to commemorate the 25th anniversary between April 2010 and April 2011.

“They designed the Challenge Centers to carry on that dream,” said Tracey Tomme, president and chief executive officer Colorado’s center. “It’s important to remember that these people gave their lives, partly to inspire their country and partly to do real science themselves.”

At Saturday’s event, attendees took a simulated trip to space, met with representatives from the Air Force Academy and saw a planetarium show. They got autographs from Bill Scott, a retired Air Force officer, good friend of one of the Challenger astronauts and author of two books about space travel.

Scott was stationed at the same Air Force base as Astronaut Ellison “El” Onizuka and the two became close friends. He recalled driving to work on the morning of the launch thinking, “El, it’s not a good day to fly. It’s a good day to stay on the ground.”

Two hours later, Scott learned of the explosion.  

Others also recalled the day that stunned  the nation.

Vivian Teets was home with her son, then 2 years old. She rarely watched the news, but her son had the remote and turned on the TV just as the news broke.

But in the spirit of the Challenger center’s mission, much of Saturday was focused on carrying on the passion for science and math that was shared by members of the crew.

Eleven-year-old Dylan Brooks  was coloring in a cutout of a rocket ship, but  broke his concentration briefly to describe a summer program he participated in last year. His job was to operate a claw on the mission to the moon.

“It’s really fun and interesting,” Brooks said.

Brooks said the experience  got him more  interested in  a science-related career.

“I want to be a lot of things,” he said. Dylan’s mother, Shyrlene Brooks, said he raved about the program.

“He said everyday, ‘Mom, this is so fun,” she said.

She brought both of her sons Saturday because of the impact it had getting Dylan interested in science. “He doesn’t love school, so that was huge,” she said. “He’s absolutely more interested in science. After talking to the people who do this and that’s their job, kids say, I might be able to do this.’”

Merry Bartek, a flight director at the center, said the activities show students real-life applications for science and math. Bartek,  on a three-year leave from teaching math and science , said it gives students a reason to do well in the subjects.

“It’s like, this is what science is, kids, not sitting in a classroom looking at a text book,” she said.  

Inspiring students to pursue science and math keeps the memory of the Challenger astronauts alive in a way other memorials could not, Tomme said.

“Instead of going to a big marble statue, putting a rose down and having a tear in your eye … we have 11,000 students come here,” she said. “There are 47 centers times 25 years. That’s a lot of people who wouldn’t have gone to a marble statue and then said, ‘I want to be an engineer.’”