As with the Apollo 1 fire, lack of escape provisions eventually doomed those crewmembers still alive after the explosion. Ejection seats that could have been used had been removed from all Space Shuttles after the first four qualification flights when the number of crew members was increased ...
Challenger disaster, explosion of the U.S. space shuttle orbiter Challenger, shortly after its launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 28, 1986, which claimed the lives of seven astronauts, including Christa McAuliffe, who had won a national scre
Challenger's explosion changed the space shuttle program in several ways. Plans to fly civilians in space (such as teachers or journalists) were shelved for the next 22 years, according toThe Smithsonian Magazine. It would not be until 2007 thatBarbara Morgan, who was McAuliffe's backup, flew...
Remains of the crew of the Challenger being transferred to a plane at John F. Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, Merritt Island, Florida, for transport to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, 1986.(more) Challenger...
Space Shuttle Challenger ExplodesReagan SigningSeventy three seconds after blast-off, the shuttle Challenger exploded and killed all seven astronauts on board. The explosion ws the greatest loss ever for the American space program, and was later blamed on faulty o-rings in the booster rocket. In ...
from the external tank. Spectators were stunned. Teachers scrambled to get their kids out to recess. And images of the grotesque, Y-shaped explosion dominated the news cycle for days to come. For the first time in its history, NASA had lost a crew on a mission—with the nation watching....
On the roof of the launch control tower, the families of the crew desperately searched the twin trails of smoke that twisted skyward for signs of the crew cabin. They were rushed back inside, purses and cameras left behind. Everyone was silent. The last thing Lorna remembers about t...
At its core, The Final Flight presents a moving legacy for the brave crew members who died in the U.S.'s most notable space tragedy. Details like these make the crew's ultimate demise even more affecting — especially for those of us who weren't alive at the time of the event. And...
Scocca, Tom. “Thirty Years Ago, the Challenger Crew Plunged Alive and Aware to Their Deaths.” Gawker, https://www.gawker.com/thirty-years-ago-the-challenger-crew-plunged-alive-and-1755727930.
Remains of the crew of the Challenger being transferred to a plane at John F. Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, Merritt Island, Florida, for transport to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, 1986.(more) Challenger...