Judy Resnik was an American astronaut who died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. She received degrees in electrical engineering and worked as an engineer before being selected to join NASA as an astronaut. Resnik flew on the Space Shuttle Discovery and was scheduled to be aboard Challenger for its fatal 25th mission, which broke apart 73 seconds after launch due to an O-ring failure, killing all seven crew members including Resnik. She was remembered for her contributions to the space program through various memorials and scholarships established in her honor.

1. Judy Resnik 1949-1986

2. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. -Ronald Reagan

3. Judy Resnik was born on April 5, 1949 in Akron, Ohio. She attended Fairlawn Elementary School, Perkins Middle School, and Firestone High School. She graduated from Firestone High School in 1966. Education

4. JUDITH A. RESNIK COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTER

6. Judy in her office at NASA.

7. NASA Dr. Resnik was chosen to be an astronaut and qualified to be a mission specialist. Her first mission was the maiden voyage of the space shuttle Discovery .

10. Dr. Resnik was a well respected eye doctor in Akron. (pictured on the far left)

13. A Diverse Crew RON MCNAIR CHRISTA MCCAULIFFE MICHAEL SMITH JUDY RESNIK GREGORY JARVIS ELLISON S. ONIZUKA RICHARD SCOBEE

14. FLIGHT CREW

15. Christa McCauliffe This flight was special because it included a high school science teacher named Christa McCauliffe. She had been chosen from thousands to become the first civilian in space. More media attention was paid to this flight than had been in many years. Space shuttle flights had become commonplace.

16. January 28, 1986 was the coldest day NASA ever attempted to launch a space shuttle.

17. Photos taken on the day of the launch.

18. Traditional Breakfast It is tradition that the astronauts have a breakfast together before the launch.

19. The flight had been delayed five times due to weather so despite the conditions they proceeded with the launch. This was the 25 th Space Shuttle mission and the 10 th flight for Challenger.

20. Heading for the Launch Pad

21. Video: Boarding the Space Shuttle

22. As family and friends watched from Cape Canaveral and school age students watched on television across the country, the space shuttle lifted off.

25. Seventy-two seconds after lift-off a catastrophic explosion occurred.

26. Click on picture to start video.

28. Dark smoke can be seen 0.678 second after ignition.

29. A small flame appears in the area of the leaking joint. The plume of hot exhaust spills across the bottom of the shuttle’s main fuel tank.

31. Mission Control

32. The two rocket boosters, still firing, fly onward until they are destroyed by radio command.

36. Wreckage found on the beach.

37. Ronald Reagan was informed of the accident as he sat in a meeting to prepare for his State of the Union address that was planned for that evening.

38. Click for video. Ronald Reagan’s State of the Union Address.

40. NASA Investigates

41. O-Ring It was determined by the NASA investigation that the Challenger disaster was caused by a frozen O-Ring. The O-Ring is a rubber ring that uses moisture to keep its seal. When the ring became frozen on that fateful day it became brittle and broken. The seal failure caused a breach in the SRB joint it filled, allowing a flare to reach the outside and impinge upon the adjacent attachment hardware and external fuel tank.

42. Memorials

43. Many memorials were held after the accident. The memorial service for Judith A. Resnik was held at Firestone High School on February 3, 1986.

46. Judy Resnik Award Judith A. Resnik Award was established by the IEEE Board of Directors in 1986 to recognize outstanding contributions to space engineering, within the fields of interest of the IEEE. This award is presented to an individual or team, with preference given to an individual

47. Carnegie-Melon Memorial

48. Fresco that hangs in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C.

49. Arlington National Cemetery

50. A historic marker has been placed at Firestone High School to recognize Judy Resnik’s contributions to the space program.

51. Every year during the week of the anniversary of the accident flowers are delivered by an anonymous person. People have speculated throughout the years who sends the flowers but nobody knows for certain.

52. Judy Resnik was known to wear a ILY necklace that displayed “I Love You” in sign language. It was one of the few personal items recovered from the wreckage.

53. Other Accidents in the history of the U.S. Space Program

54. APOLLO 1 On January 27, 1967 Apollo 1 astronauts Virgil (Gus) Grissom, Roger Chaffee, and Edward White were killed in a flash fire during a simulated launch.

55. The astronauts were already strapped into the capsule and sealed in with bolts when the fire broke out. There was no way to escape. The capsule is seen at the left.

56. Columbia February 1, 2003

60. The space shuttle Columbia burned up on re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. It was later determined that a missing tile on the belly of the shuttle allowed excessive heat to get into the vessel.

61. The shuttle is moved from one side of the country to the other by a piggy back ride on a specially designed plane.