A vehicle that was celebrated for its technical prowess broke up 73 seconds into the flight, burning nearly 2 million liters of fuel in just a few seconds, creating a sinister cloud of gas that still plagues the memory of anyone who saw it. Over time, NASA management had grown increasingly impatient with the technical delays that operating such a complex machine required.Īll that ended on the bitter cold morning of January 28 th 1986, when seven astronauts lost their lives in front of family, friends, and millions of TV viewers. NASA had committed the Shuttle to an impossible schedule even before it entered in service in order to ensure funding. Blinded by the success of the early Shuttle flights, the Agency’s management had developed a careless attitude towards warnings coming from the engineering community. The death of a crew of seven, which for the first time included civilian astronaut Christa McAuliffe, in a fiery explosion broadcasted in national television for days after the accident left a mark in the public imagination.Įven deeper was the impact on the NASA. Your browser does not support the audio element.The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster is probably the most significant event in the history of spaceflight in terms of its impact on the general public and on the US space program. Listen to a recorded reading of this page:.Take a ten question quiz about this page.The investigation found that many people knew of the potential flaw to the seals, but their warnings were ignored.The last words heard from the shuttle were from the pilot Smith who said "Uhh.In 2003, another disaster occurred when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated as it reentered the Earth's atmosphere.As a result, around 17 percent of Americans saw the launch of the Challenger live. were watching the launch because of Christa McAuliffe. The Challenger was the first Space Shuttle to launch at night.Interesting Facts About the Space Shuttle Challenger Also, new procedures were put into place to insure this wouldn't happen again. Many of the parts were redesigned for added safety. She was selected from thousands of teachers to join the Challenger flight and become the first schoolteacher in space.įor the next two years, NASA halted all space shuttle flights. Christa McAuliffe - Christa was schoolteacher from New Hampshire.Gregory Jarvis - Gregory was satellite design engineer and a payload specialist.He became the second African American in space during an earlier Challenger flight. Ronald McNair - Ronald was a physicist and a mission specialist on the flight.He had flown on the Space Shuttle Discovery and was the first Asian American into space. Ellison Onizuka - Ellison was an engineer and a mission specialist.She was the second American woman in space. Judith Resnik - Judith was an engineer and a mission specialist.He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and a father of three. Mike Smith - Mike was the shuttle pilot.He had piloted the Challenger on a previous mission. Dick Scobee - The commander of the mission.They discovered that a part called an "O-ring" seal on the rocket booster had failed largely due to the cold temperatures. The disaster was investigated by a commission appointed by President Ronald Reagan. The Challenger broke apart in flight taking with it the lives of the seven astronauts. However, at 50,800 feet, something went wrong. The Challenger launched into the sky and was gaining speed. The countdown to lift off commenced and at 11:39 a.m., the Challenger took off. By 11:00 a.m., NASA engineers had determined that the ice had melted and the Challenger could launch. It was a cold morning and much of the shuttle was covered with ice. The first American woman in space, Sally Ride, as well as the first African-American in space, Guion Bluford, both flew their historic flights aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger.Īfter several delays, the Challenger was set to take off on the morning of January 28, 1986. Most of the missions lasted around one week. The last Space Shuttle flight took place in 2011.īefore the disaster, the Challenger had flown 9 successful missions starting in 1983. When landing, the Space Shuttle would glide to a runway landing. Once in orbit, astronauts and scientists aboard the Space Shuttle would perform experiments, launch satellites, and work on the International Space Station. It was launched with the help of rocket boosters that would detach during flight. The Space Shuttle was the world's first reusable manned spacecraft. All of the seven crewmembers died in the accident including a schoolteacher from New Hampshire named Christa McAuliffe. On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart during take-off.
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