| Challenger Point | |
|---|---|
Challenger Point seen from nearby Kit Carson Mountain. |
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| Elevation | 14,081 ft (4,292 m) NGVD 29[1] |
| Prominence | 301 ft (92 m) [1][2] |
| Parent peak | Kit Carson Mountain |
| Listing | Colorado Fourteener |
| Location | |
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Challenger Point
|
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| Location | Saguache County, Colorado, USA |
| Range | Rocky Mountains, Sangre de Cristo Range |
| Coordinates | [3] |
| Topo map | USGS Crestone Peak |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Difficult class 2 |
Challenger Point is a fourteener in the Sangre de Cristo range, located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Colorado. The summit is on the northwest shoulder of Kit Carson Mountain, and is a subpeak of the latter. It was named in memory of the seven astronauts who died when the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated shortly after liftoff on January 28, 1986.[3]
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The proposal to name the summit Challenger Point was made by Colorado Springs resident Dennis Williams in 1986. The USGS Board of Geographic Names approved the application on April 9, 1987.
Local climber Alan Silverstein organized and led an expedition on the weekend of July 18, 1987 to place a 6 by 12 inches (15 by 30 cm) memorial plaque on the summit. The plaque reads:
CHALLENGER POINT, 14080+'
In Memory of the Crew of Shuttle Challenger
Seven who died accepting the risk,
expanding Mankind's horizons
January 28, 1986 Ad Astra Per Aspera
The Latin phrase "Ad Astra Per Aspera" translates as "To the stars through adversity."