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(2026 January 31) Honoring the 40th Anniversary of the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger and the Crew of STS-51L

  • 1.  (2026 January 31) Honoring the 40th Anniversary of the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger and the Crew of STS-51L

    Posted 3 hours ago

    (In-person attendance only)

    RSVP and Information on: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/kv97cxk/lp/c5ada8ee-1f10-457e-9c08-e25e54402f0e

    AIAA Los Angeles Section Town Hall Meeting 1/31

    (A 40th Anniversary Event for the Space Shuttle Challenger Tragedy)

    (In-person attendance Only)

    Saturday, January 31, 2026, 11 AM PST (GMT -0800)

    Jan 31

    Honoring the 40th Anniversary of the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger and the Crew of STS-51L

    Presenter / Speaker:
    Michelle Evans
    AIAA Distinguished Speaker
    Founder of Mach 25 Media (www.Mach25Media.com)
    Writer, photographer, and communications specialist in aerospace.
    Author, bestselling book "The X-15 Rocket Plane, Flying the First Wings into Space"

    (The speaker will present in person.)
    (Documentary viewing is for the In-Person attendees only, it's not broadcast online.)

    Lawndale Library (Meeting Room)
    14615 Burin Ave, Lawndale, CA 90260
    View on map

    (RSVP and Information on https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/kv97cxk/lp/c5ada8ee-1f10-457e-9c08-e25e54402f0e)

    Tentative Agenda: (All Times PST (GMT -0800))

    10:00 am - Doors Open

    11:00 am - Presentation "Space Shuttle Challenger, A Personal Journey" presentation by Michelle Evans

    11:30 am - Video "On the Way to the Stars, A Tribute to the Space Shuttle Challenger and the Crew of STS-51L"

    12:30 pm - Break

    1:00 pm - Discussion of the Events Surrounding the loss of the Challenger, also including context with the loss of Columbia and the X-15

    2:00 pm - Video "America's Return to Space" highlighting the STS-26 Discovery mission which put the Space Shuttle program back on orbit.

    2:30 pm - Discussion and Networking

    3:30 pm - End of event

    Challenger.pdf

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c0DseertVaWHeM8pdYWHSJkN8kmJME8S/view

    Please join the Los Angeles Section of AIAA on this day for a special personal presentation about the Challenger, along with the showing of two documentaries, plus a discussion of the tragedy in context with our continued human exploration of space.

    Documentary Film Viewing #1: "On the Way to the Stars

    A Tribute to the Space Shuttle Challenger and the Crew of STS-51L"

    (A Mach 25 Media Production by Michelle Evans)

    Documentary Film Viewing #2:

    "America's Return to Space"

    (A Mach 25 Media Production by Michelle Evans)

    Presenter / Speaker:

    Michelle Evans

    AIAA Distinguished Speaker

    Founder of Mach 25 Media (www.Mach25Media.com)

    Writer, photographer, and communications specialist in aerospace.

    Author, bestselling book "The X-15 Rocket Plane, Flying the First Wings into Space"

    Michelle Evans is the founder of Mach 25 Media (www.Mach25Media.com) and is a writer, photographer, and communications specialist in aerospace. She has written the bestselling book "The X-15 Rocket Plane, Flying the First Wings into Space" which was published by the University of Nebraska Press as part of their "Outward Odyssey, People's History of Spaceflight" series.

    Michelle's background in aerospace engineering includes serving in the US Air Force working on missile systems, and later in private industry accomplishing environmental testing for systems used in airliners and spacecraft. She has accomplished extensive outreach activities on space exploration at science centers, museums, and other venues. This has often involved working closely with astronauts and others involved with the space program. Her current work primarily involves exciting audiences about the X-15 research aircraft at locations across the country, as well as overseas.

    Michelle is a Distinguished Speaker with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and her book on the X-15 was a finalist for the Eugene M. Emme Award for Astronautical Literature. Michelle received the Diverse Community Leader Award from Orange County Human Relations, and was recognized on the Orange County Register's list of the 100 Most Influential People in Orange County. She has appeared in numerous publications, including Air & Space Smithsonian, Ad Astra, Orange County Register, Los Angeles Times, and New York Times.

    Michelle had feature stories about her life in both Time and Newsweek magazines. She was a technical consultant on the Neil Armstrong biopic "First Man," and has consulted with National Geographic television for their documentary "The Real Right Stuff."

    [AIAA Los Angeles Section], [contact@aiaa-lalv.org], [https://www.aiaa-lalv.org]



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