FRAMINGHAM, Mass. -- The mother of Christa McAuliff spoke out at a memorial service Wednesday in Framingham in memory of the crew of the space shuttle Columbia.

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Mourners Gather At Memorial Service

McAuliff was a New Hampshire teacher who died in the Challenger tragedy in 1986.

NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd said that the memorial service was held at Framingham State College -- the home of the Christa McAuliff Challenger Learning Center.

McAuliff's mother, Grace Corrigan, reflected on how she felt when she heard about the Columbia disaster.

"I was very, very upset. It brought back all the memories of what we went through. We were thinking of the families because they are going through the same type of thing that we had to go through all those years ago. It was an awful day," Corrigan said.

Corrigan said that despite the risks involved and the tragedies, she feels that the nation's space exploration program must continue.