Thursday marked three decades since the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just over one minute into its mission.

Ken Craw, a local resident, was a witness to the launch and has shared his memory of the tragedy.

Craw and four other high school students from Norwalk had won a contest to watch the launch.

He said the crowd was excitedly taking pictures when the Challenger suddenly exploded.

"We heard from the flight dynamics officer that there was an obvious malfunction. Then there was a hush in the crowd and waiting for more information. And, from there we obviously knew the worst had taken place," said Craw.

Craw said the tragedy did not stop him from pursuing his passion in science. He became a science teacher in Darien before becoming assistant superintendent in Weston.