On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after it was launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida in just 73 seconds which claimed the lives of seven astronauts.

Also on board were Michael J. Smith, Francis “Dick” Scobee ... Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1976. According to NASA, his research at MIT focused on the development of lasers.

NASA recently paid tribute to the Challenger crew and other fallen astronauts during its annual Day of Remembrance.