. >> reporter: commander dick scobee's widow, june, has carried on the mission, founding the challenger learning center to inspire the next generation of teachers and explorers. >> we didn't want the "challenger" to be the end of the chapter in space exploration. we saw it as a transition chapter. >> reporter: now with the space shuttle fleet set to retire this year, the orbiting space station complete and a moon mission off the table, what's next for nasa? where does it go? >> we've been so wrapped up in the shuttle, perhaps, that we haven't done enough forward planning. >> reporter: 25 years after "challenger" nasa's next chapter is yet to be written. tom costello, nbc news, washington. >>> in just a moment here as promised, we'll go back to richard engle in cairo for the very latest on the tense situation there tonight. >>> we're back and one more time let's update what certainly looks like a revolution in progress in the streets of egypt. richard engle remains in cairo. richard, good evening once again. >> reporter: good evening, brian. a lot of people are wondering what will happen

we will hear from the widow of "challenger" commander dick scobee. >>> and new trouble for charlie sheenen hospitalized. we'll get an update on that. >>> this is the "cbs morning news" for this friday. thanks for watching, everyone. i'm betty nguyen. have a great weekend. ,,,,,,,,

his wife, june, has since become -- it surely it was dick scobee.er original books about the challenger was truly inspirational. she wrote a book about motivating young people to study science, technology, engineering, and math, and her most recent book, an update of "silver linings" and really her autobiography is really inspirational as something for all of us to admire. she also is a founding chairman of the challenger centers for space science education. she earned a ph.d. degree from texas a&m university and has taught every grade level from kindergarten through college. it is a pleasure to introduce our keynote speaker, dr. june scobee rodgers. [applause] >> thank you, very much for those nice words. it makes me feel like i am somebody, and it was not even my own funeral. it is a nice, cool morning here. the chamber of commerce did not get the message to make it a beautiful day for us to talk about florida. good morning. to so many of you that have joined today, thank you for coming out on this cool, brisk day to help us honor the challenger c

hawaii, the star of this mission, new hampshire school teacher christa mcauliffe, mission commander dick scobeeel smith, astronauts judith resnik and ronald mcnair. and payload specialist gregory jarvis. lift-off was scheduled for 9:38 this morning. again, there were problems. a hard freeze overnight left ice on the launch pad. a two-hour delay. and then nasa discovers a faulty fire detector on board the shuttle. another hour's delay while it's replaced. finally, the lift-off was set for 11:38. a crowd of some 500 spectators, including 18 visiting school children from mcauliffe's hometown and then counted down anxiously. >> five, four, three, two, one! >> reporter: the liftoff appeared flawless. the spectators, including christa's parents, grace and edward, watched proudly, with tears of joy. 65 seconds into flight, nasa control orders commander scobee to go to full power. >> "challenger" go with throttle up. >> roger, go to throttle up. >> reporter: suddenly an explosion. >> controllers here looking very carefully at the situation. obviously, a major malfunction. >> reporter: nasa loses all co

her husband dick scobee was the commander. this particular mission was routine in many ways.n one. christa mcauliffe a social studies teacher from new hampshire was chosen to become the first teacher in space. >> good morning. >> reporter: through lessons, she'd bring the nation's students along with her. >> and i just hope everybody tunes in on day four now so watch the teacher teaching from space. >> reporter: that morning, schoolkids around the country were glued to tv sets. as a teacher and six astronauts left -- >> three nautical miles. >> reporter: but just 68 seconds into the flight commander scobee uttered the last words anyone would ever hear from the "challenger" crew. >> "challenger" go with throttle up. >> "challenger" go with throttle up. >> reporter: reporter bill harwood was there. >> all of a sudden 73 seconds after launch that contrail sort of ballooned outward, and you saw this sense of debris flying through the air. >> obviously a major malfunction. >> we knew as soon as we saw the fireball the explosion, we didn't have a chance of getting the crew back ali