On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger, during Mission 51-L, exploded at 11:39 a.m., seventy three seconds after liftoff, killing all aboard.

Francis R. Scobee, Shuttle Commander; Michael J. Smith, Pilot; Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, and Ronald E. McNair, Mission specialists; Gregory B. Jarvis, Payload Specialist. Also on board was Christa McAuliff, a school teacher and the first civilian chosen.

The design of the Challenger Memorial is an exact color reproduction of the logo that the crew members designed themselves for the mission.