JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Sad news rippled across the scientific community after word spread that professor Mike Reynolds died Tuesday afternoon. Reynolds, an educator at Florida State College at Jacksonville, was known for his infectious enthusiasm for science, particularly astronomy and space exploration. Before the mission, Reynolds and McAuliffe became friends, and after the Challenger exploded, Reynolds took on an outreach position in her honor. When News4Jax's Tarik Minor interviewed Reynolds about the Challenger mission in 2016, he explained how watching the explosion changed his life. Godspeed Dr Mike Reynolds," wrote one person.