
Dr. June Scobee Rodgers poses with third-grade students at the UTC Challenger STEM Learning Center. Photo courtesy of Lisa Vernal.
Thirty-nine years ago, on Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger tragically exploded, taking the lives of all seven crew members on board. Among them was Commander Francis R. “Dick” Scobee.
To commemorate the anniversary, Dr. June Scobee Rodgers, widow of Commander Scobee and founding chair of the Challenger Center, visited the Challenger STEM Learning Center at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga—one of 33 Challenger Centers worldwide—on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
During her visit, Rodgers watched local elementary school students participate in simulated space missions and STEM activities.
Rob Lein, exploration specialist at the UTC Challenger STEM Learning Center, said Rodgers shared her story with a group of third graders on a field trip.
“It was an incredibly special day,” Lein said. “We are so blessed to be able to share that experience with Miss June.”
He also reflected on the personal significance of the Challenger disaster.
“I was 8 years old, watching in the gym of my school,” he said. “It had such a big impact on my life.”
Rodgers expressed gratitude for visiting the UTC Challenger Center—especially because it’s in her hometown.
“The Challenger families joined me in 1986 to create an opportunity for students to know the astronauts, our loved ones who lost their lives on that tragic day,” Rodgers said. “But even more important was to create an opportunity for students to explore STEM fields on a space mission of their own.
“It makes me happier than sad to watch the students and hear their shouts of joy for a successful simulated mission to the moon or Mars.”
She said the children she spoke to were courteous and thoughtful in their questions after hearing her story.
“I was pleased to meet them,” she said. “They all told me their names after hearing my name. How delightful and ever so rewarding to watch them in action. They cheered me up. I was truly rewarded by my visit with the students and staff at the UTC Challenger Center.”