Crew:
    Francis R. Scobee, Commander
    Michael J. Smith, Pilot
    Judith A. Resnik, Mission Specialist 1
    Ellison S. Onizuka, Mission Specialist 2
    Ronald E. McNair, Mission Specialist 3
    Gregory B. Jarvis, Payload Specialist 1
    Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Payload Specialist 2

Launch:
    Pad: 39-B (1)
    Date: 28 January 1986
    Time: 16:38:00 UTC

Orbit:
    Altitude: 46,000 feet (150 nm planned)
    Inclination: 28.5 degrees (planned)
    Orbits: 0
    Duration: 1 minute, 13 seconds
    Distance: 18 miles

Landing:
    None (Kennedy Space Center landing was planned)

An explosion 73 seconds after liftoff claimed both crew and vehicle. Cause of the explosion was determined to be an O-ring failure in the right solid rocket booster. Cold weather was a contributing factor. (Challenger explosion, 34kpbs, 100kbps, RealPlayer required)

RealAudio clip of the audio from Mission Control

"Challenger, go with throttle-up" - A memorial

Christa McAuliffe was a school teacher, and was to do live telecasts from space. She had been selected as the prime candidate for NASA's Teacher in Space Project. Her backup was Barbara R. Morgan, a teacher from Idaho.

 
Credit - NASA
(click to enlarge)
Back row (l to r)
Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik
Front row (l to r)
Michael Smith, Francis Scobee, Ronald McNair