“Eyes on the Stars” by the Rauch Brothers

Today, in honor of the 27th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger disaster, we are treated to another flawless pull-at-my-heartstrings Storycorps story courtesy of the Rauch Brothers:

On January 28, 1986, NASA Challenger mission STS-51-L ended in tragedy when the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after takeoff. On board was physicist Ronald E. McNair, who was the second African American to enter space. But first, he was a kid with big dreams in Lake City, South Carolina.

CREDITS
Directed by the Rauch Brothers
Storyboard: Stephen DeStefano
Animation: Tim Rauch
Assistant Animation: Erica Perez
Backgrounds: Bill Wray
FX and Compositing: Gary Leib