Car headlights still honor sacrifice of Challenger crew

Southbound vehicles on U.S. 1 in Titusville, Florida, have their headlights on during daylight on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015, to honor the seven astronauts who died in the 1986 Shuttle Challenger accident. (Photo by Scott Gunnerson)

Motorists in Titusville, Florida, and other communities surrounding Kennedy Space Center drove in the daylight with their headlights on Wednesday as a tribute to the seven crew members who died aboard the Shuttle Challenger on Jan. 28, 1986.

It was a somber reminder of the day after the accident when practically every car's lights were beaming in what was described by South Florida newspaper reporter Neil Santaniello as an "eerie and unending funeral procession with no hearse in the lead."

Wednesday was also a Day of Remembrance for NASA to honor every individual who lost their life in the pursuit of space exploration.

"Today we remember and give thanks for the lives and contributions of those who gave all trying to push the boundaries of human achievement," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement.

"On this solemn occasion, we pause in our normal routines and remember the STS-107 Columbia crew; the STS-51L Challenger crew; the Apollo 1 crew; Mike Adams, the first in-flight fatality of the space program as he piloted the X-15 No. 3 on a research flight; and those lost in test flights and aeronautics research throughout our history."