The astronaut Judith A. Resnik (1949-1986) became the second American woman in space in 1984, on the maiden flight of the orbiter Discovery. She logged 145 hours in space on that mission, at what should have been the beginning of a promising career. But on January 28, 1986, only seconds after liftoff during her second mission, Resnik died in the tragic explosion of the space shuttle Challenger. Six other astronauts perished with her, nine miles above the Atlantic Ocean, leaving a country shocked and mourning.

The daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants, Judith A. Resnik was born (on April 5, 1949) and raised in an affluent neighborhood of Akron, Ohio. Her parents were Marvin Resnik, an optometrist, and Sarah Resnik. She had one brother, Charles, who was four years younger.

Resnik attended Firestone High School in Akron, where she was a diligent student who excelled in mathematics and played classical piano. The valedictorian of Firestone's...