Was the Challenger crew aware of what happened?

Whether the Challenger crew was aware of what happened after the explosion on January 28, 1986, has been investigated by NASA, and evidence suggests at least some crew members were aware that something catastrophic had occurred. The Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff, and the crew compartment separated intact from the rest of the orbiter and continued on a ballistic arc. NASA's investigation found that three of the four emergency air packs called Personal Egress Air Packs or PEAPs recovered from the wreckage had been manually activated, which requires conscious action by crew members, indicating that at least some astronauts were conscious and attempted to get emergency air after breakup. The switches for these packs are on the back of the seats and must be manually turned on, suggesting awareness. The crew compartment remained pressurized for at least a few seconds after breakup but then likely depressurized. The Rogers Commission and NASA have not definitively stated how long the crew remained conscious, but the activation of air packs suggests awareness of an emergency. Astronauts were highly trained for emergencies, so they likely realized there was a catastrophic failure. The exact level of awareness and how long consciousness was maintained during the approximately 2 minute 45 second fall to the ocean is unknown, but evidence points to at least brief consciousness and awareness after breakup.