The iconic image of Space Shuttle Challenger's smoke plume after its breakup 73 seconds after launch. The accident caused the deaths of all seven crew members of the STS-51-L mission.

The crew of STS-51-L. Front row, from left to right: Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, and Ronald McNair. Back row, from left to right: Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik.

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster took place when Challenger, a Space Shuttle operated by NASA, broke apart 73 seconds into its flight leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. The spacecraft disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of central Florida, United States at 11:39 a.m. EST (16:39 UTC) on January 28, 1986. Disintegration of the shuttle stack began 73 seconds into its flight after an O-ring seal in its right solid rocket booster (SRB) failed at liftoff. The seal failure caused a breach in the SRB joint it filled, allowing a flare to reach the outside and impinge upon the adjacent attachment hardware and external fuel tank. The SRB breach flare led to the separation of the right-hand SRB and the structural failure of the external tank. Aerodynamic forces promptly broke up the orbiter. The shuttle was destroyed and all seven crew members were killed. The crew compartment and many other vehicle fragments were eventually recovered from the ocean floor after a lengthy search and recovery operation. The launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission 51L/STS-33, the 25th of the STS (Space Transportation System) program, began at an estimated time of 16:38:00. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3555x2879, 1327 KB) Summary Short Description: Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after take-off. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (3555x2879, 1327 KB) Summary Short Description: Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after take-off. ... This article is about the space vehicle. ... Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was NASAs second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia being the first. ... The launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission 51L/STS-33, the 25th of the STS (Space Transportation System) program, began at an estimated time of 16:38:00. ... Download high resolution version (3000x2400, 4093 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (3000x2400, 4093 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Michael John Smith (April 30, 1945 – January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut, pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during the STS-51-L mission. ... Francis Richard Dick Scobee (May 19, 1939 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission. ... Ronald Erwin McNair, Ph. ... Ellison Shoji Onizuka (June 24, 1946 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut from Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii who died during the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, where he was serving as mission specialist on mission STS-51-L. // Early life Ellison Onizuka was the oldest son and second... Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe (September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher from Concord, New Hampshire who was selected from among more than 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space. ... Gregory Jarvis Memorial at Hermosa Beach Gregory Bruce Jarvis (August 24, 1944 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died during the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, where he was serving as payload specialist. ... Dr. Judith Arlene Resnik (April 5, 1949 – January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died at the age of 36 in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster during the launch of the mission STS-51-L. Resnik was born in Akron, Ohio and attended Hebrew school. ... Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was NASAs second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia being the first. ... This article is about the space vehicle. ... For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ... The Space Shuttle Discovery as seen from the International Space Station. ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... Metronome, a public art installation showing the time in New York City The Eastern Time Zone (ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of Northern America and the west coast of South America. ... UTC redirects here. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Typical O-ring and application An O-ring is a loop of elastomer with a round (o-shaped) cross-section used as a mechanical seal. ... The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) is the rocket that provides 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. ... A Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) on its way to the Vehicle Assembly Building. ... Structural failure refers to loss of the load-carrying capacity of a component or member within a structure or of the structure itself. ... For the Daft Punk song, see Aerodynamic (song). ...

The disaster resulted in a 32-month hiatus in the shuttle program and the formation of the Rogers Commission, a special commission appointed by United States President Ronald Reagan to investigate the accident. The Rogers Commission found that NASA's organizational culture and decision-making processes had been a key contributing factor to the accident. NASA managers had known that contractor Morton Thiokol's design of the SRBs contained a potentially catastrophic flaw in the O-rings since 1977, but they failed to address it properly. They also ignored warnings from engineers about the dangers of launching on such a cold day and had failed to adequately report these technical concerns to their superiors. The Rogers Commission offered NASA nine recommendations that were to be implemented before shuttle flights resumed. The Rogers Commission Report was created by a Presidential Commission charged to investigate the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion on its 10th mission, STS-51-L. The comprehensive 225-page report documented the technical and managerial factors that contributed to the accident. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Reagan redirects here. ... For other uses, see NASA (disambiguation). ... Organizational culture, or corporate culture, comprises the attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values of an organization. ... A Trident C-4 FBM launches and fires its Thiokol solid rocket first stage Thiokol (variously Thiokol Chemical Company, Morton-Thiokol Inc. ...

Many viewed the launch live due to the presence on the crew of Christa McAuliffe, the first member of the Teacher in Space Project. Media coverage of the accident was extensive: one study reported that 85 percent of Americans surveyed had heard the news within an hour of the accident. The Challenger disaster has been used as a case study in many discussions of engineering safety and workplace ethics and inspired the 1990 television movie, Challenger. Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe (September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher from Concord, New Hampshire who was selected from among more than 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space. ... Logo of the Teacher in Space Project The Teacher in Space Project (TISP) was a NASA program announced by President Ronald Reagan in 1984 to inspire students, honor teachers, and spur excitement in math, science, and space exploration. ... Challenger is a film based on the events surrounding the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. ...

Pre-launch conditions and delays

For more details on this topic, see Space Shuttle Challenger launch decision.

Ice on the launch tower on the morning of the Challenger launch

Challenger was originally set to launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 2:43 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on January 22. However, delays suffered by the previous mission, STS-61-C, caused the launch date to be pushed back to January 23 and then to January 24. Launch was then rescheduled to January 25 due to bad weather at the Transoceanic Abort Landing (TAL) site in Dakar, Senegal. NASA decided to use Casablanca as the TAL site, but because it was not equipped for night landings, the launch had to be moved to the morning (Florida time). Predictions of unacceptable weather at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) caused the launch to be rescheduled for 9:37 a.m. EST on January 27. According to Malcolm McConnell's book, Challenger: A Major Malfunction, NASA normally would have launched with the predicted forecast of a 50 percent chance of rain if not for plans to have Vice President George H. W. Bush stop over and watch the launch on his way to Honduras. A view of Space Shuttle Challenger shortly before launch. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1122x1415, 398 KB) Source: http://grin. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1122x1415, 398 KB) Source: http://grin. ... Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center (shown in white). ... This article is about the U.S. State of Florida. ... is the 22nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Crew (total flights to date in parentheses) Robert L. Gibson,(2) Commander Charles F. Bolden, (1) Pilot Franklin Chang-Diaz (1) Mission Specialist Steven A. Hawley, (2) Mission Specialist George D. Nelson, (2) Mission Specialist Robert Cenker (RCA Electronics), (1) Payload Specialist Rep. ... For other uses, see Storm (disambiguation). ... A Space Shuttle abort is an emergency procedure due to equipment failure on NASAs Space Shuttle, most commonly during ascent. ... (City of Dakar, divided into 19 communes darrondissement) City proper (commune) Région Dakar Département Dakar Mayor Pape Diop (PDS) (since 2002) Area 82. ... For other uses, see Casablanca (disambiguation). ... Metronome, a public art installation showing the time in New York City The Eastern Time Zone (ET) of the Western Hemisphere falls mostly along the east coast of Northern America and the west coast of South America. ... Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center (shown in white). ... The Vice President of the United States[1] (sometimes referred to as VPOTUS[2] or Veep) is the first in the presidential line of succession, becoming the new President of the United States upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ...

The launch was delayed the next day by problems with the exterior access hatch. First, one of the microswitch indicators used to verify that the hatch was safely locked malfunctioned.^[1] Then, a stripped bolt prevented the closeout crew from removing a closing fixture from the orbiter's hatch.^[2] When the fixture was finally sawn off, crosswinds at the Shuttle Landing Facility exceeded the limits for a Return to Launch Site (RTLS) abort.^[3] The crew waited for the winds to die down until the launch window finally ran out, forcing yet another scrub. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Space Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) is a location where the Space Shuttle can land. ... A Space Shuttle abort is an emergency procedure due to equipment failure on NASAs Space Shuttle, most commonly during ascent. ...

Forecasts for January 28 predicted an unusually cold morning, with temperatures close to 31 °F (−0.5 °C), the minimum temperature permitted for launch. The low temperature had prompted concern from engineers at Morton Thiokol, the contractor responsible for the construction and maintenance of the shuttle's SRB. At a teleconference which took place on the evening of January 27, Thiokol engineers and managers discussed the weather conditions with NASA managers from Kennedy Space Center and Marshall Space Flight Center. Several engineers—most notably Roger Boisjoly, who had voiced similar concerns previously—expressed their concern about the effect of the temperature on the resilience of the rubber O-rings that sealed the joints of the SRBs. They argued that if the O-rings were colder than 53 °F (approximately 11.7 °C), there was no guarantee they would seal properly. This was an important consideration, since the O-rings had been designated as a "Criticality 1" component—meaning that there was no backup for them and their failure would destroy Challenger and its crew. They also argued that the low overnight temperatures would almost certainly result in SRB temperatures below their redline of 40 °F (4 °C). However, they were overruled by Morton Thiokol management, who recommended that the launch proceed as scheduled.^[4] For other uses, see Fahrenheit (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Celsius (disambiguation). ... A Trident C-4 FBM launches and fires its Thiokol solid rocket first stage Thiokol (variously Thiokol Chemical Company, Morton-Thiokol Inc. ... NASA Image of the final solid rocket booster (right) being mated to a Delta II rocket (blue). ... Aerial view of the test area at Marshall Space Flight Center The George C. Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is a lead NASA center for propulsion, Space Shuttle propulsion, external fuel tank, crew training and payloads, International Space Station (ISS) design and construction, for computers, networks, and information management. ... Roger Boisjoly (born 25 April 1938) is an engineer who worked for Morton Thiokol, the manufacturer of the solid rocket boosters of the space shuttle. ...

Due to the low temperature, a significant amount of ice built up on the fixed service structure that stood beside the shuttle. The Kennedy Ice Team inadvertently pointed an infrared camera at the aft field joint of the right SRB and found the temperature to be only 8°F (−13°C). This was the result of supercooled air blowing on the joint from the liquid oxygen tank vent. It was much lower than the air temperature and far below the design specifications for the O-rings. However, this information was never communicated to the decision makers.^[5] Launch Complex 39 is a large site and a collection of facilities at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island in Florida, USA, originally built for the Apollo program, and later modified to support Space Shuttle operations. ...

Although the Ice Team had worked through the night removing ice—and not knowing of the super-cooled joint—engineers at Rockwell International, the shuttle's prime contractor, still expressed concern. Rockwell engineers watching the pad from their headquarters in Downey, California were horrified when they saw the amount of ice. They feared that during launch, ice might be shaken loose and strike the shuttle's thermal protection tiles, possibly due to the aspiration induced by the jet of exhaust gas from the SRBs. Rocco Petrone, the head of Rockwell's space transportation division, and his colleagues viewed this situation as a launch constraint, and told Rockwell's managers at the Cape that Rockwell could not support a launch. However, Rockwell's managers at the Cape voiced their concerns in a manner that led Houston-based mission manager Arnold Aldrich to go ahead with the launch. Aldrich decided to postpone the shuttle launch by an hour in order to give the Ice Team time to perform another inspection. After that last inspection, during which the ice appeared to be melting, Challenger was finally cleared to launch at 11:38 a.m. EST.^[4] Rockwell International was the ultimate incarnation of a series of companies under the sphere of influence of Willard Rockwell, who had made his fortune after the invention and successful launch of a new bearing system for truck axles in 1919. ... Location of Downey in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: , Country State County Los Angeles Founded 1800s Incorporated 1956 Government  - Type Council-Manager government  - City Council David R. Gafin Mario A. Guerra Rick Trejo (Mayor) Anne Marie Bayer Kirk Cartozian Area  - City  12. ... Automobile exhaust Exhaust gas is flue gas which occurs as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel, fuel oil or coal. ... Rocco Anthony Petrone (March 31, 1926 – August 24, 2006) was the third director of the NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center from 1973 to 1974. ...

January 28 launch and failure

Further information: STS-51-L Mission timeline

STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time a civilian had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. ...

Liftoff and initial ascent

Camera captures grey smoke escaping from the right side SRB

The following account of the accident is derived from real time telemetry data and photographic analysis, as well as from transcripts of air-to-ground and mission control voice communications.^[6] All times are given in seconds after launch and correspond to the telemetry time-codes from the closest instrumented event to each described event.^[7] Image File history File links Sts-33_d67_01. ... Image File history File links Sts-33_d67_01. ... The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) is the rocket that provides 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. ... Telemetry is a technology that allows the remote measurement and reporting of information of interest to the system designer or operator. ... Mission Control Center (MCC) is a unit that manages aerospace flights. ...

At 6.6 seconds before liftoff, the three space shuttle main engines (SSME) ignited. Until liftoff actually occurs, the SSMEs can be safely shut down and the launch aborted if necessary. At liftoff time (T=0, which was at 11:38:00.010 EST), the three SSMEs were at 100% of their original rated performance, and began throttling up to 104% under computer control. At this moment, the two SRBs were ignited and hold-down bolts were released with explosives, freeing the vehicle from the pad. With the first vertical motion of the vehicle, the gaseous hydrogen vent arm retracted from the External Tank (ET) but failed to latch back. Review of film shot by pad cameras showed that the arm did not re-contact the vehicle, and thus it was ruled out as a contributing factor in the accident.^[7] The post-launch inspection of the pad also revealed that kick springs on four of the hold-down bolts were missing, but they were similarly ruled out as a possible cause.^[8] Space Shuttle Main Engine cluster The Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) are the three main engines on the Space Shuttle orbiter. ... A Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) on its way to the Vehicle Assembly Building. ...

Challenger lifting off (253 kB, ogg/Theora format)

Later review of launch film showed that at T+0.678, strong puffs of dark grey smoke were emitted from the right-hand SRB near the aft strut that attaches the booster to the ET. The last smoke puff occurred at about T+2.733. The last view of smoke around the strut was at T+3.375. It was later determined that these smoke puffs were caused by the opening and closing of the aft field joint of the right-hand SRB. The booster's casing had ballooned under the stress of ignition. As a result of this ballooning, the metal parts of the casing bent away from each other, opening a gap through which hot gases above 5,000 °F (2,760 °C) leaked out. This had occurred in previous launches, but each time the primary o-ring had shifted out of its groove and formed a seal. Although the SRB was not designed to function this way, it appeared to work well enough and Morton-Thiokol changed the design specs to accommodate this process, known as extrusion. Image File history File links Challenger_(STS-51-L)_Liftoff. ... Image File history File links Challenger_(STS-51-L)_Liftoff. ... A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix kilo-, meaning 1,000) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to either 1,000 bytes or 1,024 bytes (210), depending on context. ... Ogg is an open standard for a free container format for digital multimedia, unrestricted by software patents and designed for efficient streaming and manipulation. ... Theora is a video codec being developed by the Xiph. ... AFT is a three-letter acronym that may refer to: American Farmland Trust Adiabatic flame temperature American Federation of Teachers Authenticated firewall traversal, in version 5 of SOCKS, an Internet protocol Americans For Fair Taxation Almost Free Text Ali Farka Toure (Freewood) Acres Fun Time Category: ...

Unfortunately, while extrusion was taking place, hot gases would leak past, a process called blow-by, damaging the o-rings until a seal was made. Investigations into the matter by Morton-Thiokol engineers determined that the amount of damage to the o-rings was directly related to the time it took for extrusion to occur, and that cold weather, by causing the o-rings to harden, lengthened the time of extrusion.

The morning of the disaster the o-ring was too cold to seal in time. The secondary O-ring was not in its seated position due to the metal bending. There was now no barrier to the gases, and both O-rings were vaporized across 70 degrees of arc. However, aluminium oxides from the burned solid propellant sealed the damaged joint, temporarily replacing the O-ring seal before actual flame rushed through the joint. Alumina redirects here. ...

As the vehicle cleared the tower, the SSMEs were operating at 104% of their rated maximum thrust, and control switched from the Launch Control Center (LCC) at Kennedy to the Mission Control Center (MCC) in Houston, Texas. To prevent aerodynamic forces from structurally overloading the orbiter, at T+28 the SSMEs began throttling down to limit the velocity of the shuttle in the dense lower atmosphere. At T+35.379, the SSMEs throttled back further to the planned 65%. Five seconds later, at about 19,000 feet (5800 m), Challenger passed through Mach 1. At T+51.860, the SSMEs began throttling back up to 104% as the vehicle passed beyond Max Q, the period of maximum aerodynamic pressure on the vehicle. The Launch Control Center (LCC) is a four-story building that is the electronic brain of Launch Complex 39. ... Houston redirects here. ... For the Daft Punk song, see Aerodynamic (song). ... Atmosphere diagram showing the mesosphere and other layers. ... An F/A-18 Hornet breaking the sound barrier. ... A visible shock wave formed as the Apollo 11 Saturn V encountered Maximum Dynamic Pressure (Max Q) at about 1 minute 20 seconds into the flight (altitude 12. ...

Plume

Camera captures plume on right SRB

Just as the shuttle approached Max Q, it slammed through the most intense wind shear ever experienced to date in the space shuttle program. A visible shock wave formed as the Apollo 11 Saturn V encountered Maximum Dynamic Pressure (Max Q) at about 1 minute 20 seconds into the flight (altitude 12. ... For the Marvel Comics character, see Windshear (comics). ...

At T+58.788, a tracking film camera captured the beginnings of a plume near the aft attach strut on the right SRB. Unknown to those on Challenger or in Houston, hot gas had begun to leak through a growing hole in one of the right-hand SRB's joints. The force of the wind shear shattered the temporary oxide seal that had taken the place of the damaged O-rings, removing the last barrier to flame rushing through the joint. Had it not been for the wind shear, the oxide seal might have held through booster burnout. Plume of the Space Shuttle Atlantis after launch. ...

Within a second, the plume became well defined and intense. Internal pressure in the right SRB began to drop because of the rapidly enlarging hole in the failed joint, and at T+60.238 there was visual evidence of flame coming through the joint and impinging on the external tank.^[6]

At T+64.660, the plume suddenly changed shape, indicating that a leak had begun in the liquid hydrogen tank, located in the aft portion of the external tank. The nozzles of the main engines pivoted under computer control to compensate for the unbalanced thrust produced by the booster burn-through. The pressure in the shuttle's external liquid hydrogen tank began to drop at T+66.764, indicating the effect of the leak.^[6] Liquid hydrogen is the liquid state of the element hydrogen. ...

At this stage the situation still seemed normal both to the astronauts and to flight controllers. At T+68, the CAPCOM Richard Covey informed the crew that they were "go at throttle up", and Commander Dick Scobee confirmed the call. His response, "Roger, go at throttle up," was the last communication from Challenger on the air-to-ground loop. Flight controller: a space flight control room position at NASAs Mission Control Center. ... Francis Richard Dick Scobee (May 19, 1939 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission. ...

Vehicle breakup

Challenger breakup (346 kB, ogg/Theora format

At T+72.284, the right SRB apparently pulled away from the aft strut attaching it to the external tank. Later analysis of telemetry data showed a sudden lateral acceleration to the right at T+72.525, which may have been felt by the crew. The last statement captured by the crew cabin recorder came just half a second after this acceleration, when Pilot Michael J. Smith said "Uh oh".^[9] Smith may also have been responding to onboard indications of main engine performance, or to falling pressures in the external fuel tank. Image File history File links Challenger_(STS-51-L)_Explosion. ... Image File history File links Challenger_(STS-51-L)_Explosion. ... A kilobyte (derived from the SI prefix kilo-, meaning 1,000) is a unit of information or computer storage equal to either 1,000 bytes or 1,024 bytes (210), depending on context. ... Ogg is an open standard for a free container format for digital multimedia, unrestricted by software patents and designed for efficient streaming and manipulation. ... Theora is a video codec being developed by the Xiph. ... Michael John Smith (April 30, 1945 – January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut, pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during the STS-51-L mission. ...

At T+73.124, the aft dome of the liquid hydrogen tank failed, producing a propulsive force that pushed the hydrogen tank into the liquid oxygen tank in the forward part of the ET. At the same time, the right SRB rotated about the forward attach strut, and struck the intertank structure. A Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) on its way to the Vehicle Assembly Building. ...

The breakup of the vehicle began at T+73.162 seconds and at an altitude of 48,000 feet (14.6 km).^[10] With the external tank disintegrating, Challenger veered from its correct attitude with respect to the local air flow and was immediately torn apart by abnormal aerodynamic forces resulting in a load factor of up to 20g — well over its design limit of 5 g. The two SRBs, which can withstand greater aerodynamic loads, separated from the ET and continued in uncontrolled powered flight for another 37 seconds. The SRB casings were made of half-inch (12.7 mm) thick steel and were much stronger than the orbiter and ET; thus, both SRBs survived the breakup of the space shuttle stack, even though the right SRB was still suffering the effects of the joint burn-through that had set the destruction of Challenger in motion.^[8] A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... “km” redirects here. ... Dead load and live load are terms used in the structural engineering, construction, and associated industries, and refer to the two categories of primary loads. ... The term g force or gee force refers to the symbol g, the force of acceleration due to gravity at the earths surface. ...

Post-breakup flight controller dialog

Jay Greene at his console after the breakup of Challenger

In Mission Control, there was a burst of static on the air-to-ground loop as Challenger disintegrated. Television screens showed a cloud of smoke and vapor where Challenger had been, with pieces of debris falling toward the ocean. At about T+89, flight director Jay Greene prompted his flight dynamics officer for information. The response was that "...the radar filters have discreting sources", a further indication that Challenger had broken into multiple pieces. The ground controller reported "negative contact, loss of downlink" of radio and telemetry data from Challenger. Greene ordered his team to "watch your data carefully" and look for any sign that the Orbiter had escaped. Image File history File linksMetadata STS-51L_riadiace_stredisko. ... Image File history File linksMetadata STS-51L_riadiace_stredisko. ... Jay Greene is a retired NASA engineer. ... Jay Greene is a retired NASA engineer. ... Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO) is a term for a space flight support postion. ... For other uses, see Radar (disambiguation). ... Flight controller: a space flight control room position at NASAs Mission Control Center. ...

At T+110.250, the Range Safety Officer (RSO) at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station sent radio signals that activated the range safety system's "destruct" packages on board both solid rocket boosters. This was a normal contingency procedure, undertaken because the RSO judged the free-flying SRBs a possible threat to land or sea. The same destruct signal would have destroyed the External Tank had it not already disintegrated.^[11] In the field of rocketry, a Range Safety Officer has responsibility for the safe transportation, storage and launch of rocket vehicles. ... The Bumper V-2 was the first missile launched at Cape Canaveral on July 24, 1950. ... The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) is the rocket that provides 83% of liftoff thrust for the Space Shuttle. ...

"Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation," reported public affairs officer Steve Nesbitt. "Obviously a major malfunction. We have no downlink." After a pause, Nesbitt said, "We have a report from the Flight Dynamics Officer that the vehicle exploded."

Greene ordered that contingency procedures be put into effect at Mission Control; these procedures included locking the doors of the control center, shutting down telephone communications with the outside world, and following checklists that ensured that the relevant data were correctly recorded and preserved.

No "explosion"

Challenger begins to disintegrate.

Contrary to the flight dynamics officer's initial statement, the shuttle and external tank did not actually "explode". Instead they rapidly disintegrated under tremendous aerodynamic forces, since the shuttle was past "Max Q", or maximum aerodynamic pressure. When the external tank disintegrated, the fuel and oxidizer stored within it were released, producing the appearance of a massive fireball. However, according to the NASA team that analyzed imagery after the accident, there was only "localized combustion" of propellant.^[8] Instead, the visible cloud was primarily composed of vapor and gases resulting from the release of the shuttle's liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen propellant. Stored in cryogenic conditions, the liquid hydrogen could not have ignited rapidly enough to trigger an "explosion" in the traditional sense of a detonation (as opposed to a deflagration, which was what occurred). Had there been a true explosion, the entire shuttle would have been instantly destroyed, killing the crew at that moment. The more robustly constructed crew cabin and SRBs survived the breakup of the launch vehicle; while the SRBs were subsequently detonated remotely, the detached cabin continued along a ballistic trajectory, and was observed exiting the cloud of gases at T+75.237.^[8] Twenty-five seconds after the breakup of the vehicle, which occurred at 48,000 feet (14.6 km), the trajectory of the crew compartment peaked at a height of 65,000 feet (19.8 km).^[10] Image File history File links Sts33-e204. ... Image File history File links Sts33-e204. ... Explode redirects here. ... A visible shock wave formed as the Apollo 11 Saturn V encountered Maximum Dynamic Pressure (Max Q) at about 1 minute 20 seconds into the flight (altitude 12. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Cryogenics is a branch of physics (or engineering) that studies the production of very low temperatures (below –150 °C, –238 °F or 123 K) and the behavior of materials at those temperatures. ... A weapons cache is detonated at the East River Range on Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan Detonation is a process of supersonic combustion in which a shock wave is propagated forward due to energy release in a reaction zone behind it. ... A log in a fire place. ... For other uses, see Ballistics (disambiguation). ...

Cause and time of death

During vehicle breakup, the robustly constructed crew cabin detached in one piece and slowly tumbled. NASA estimated separation forces at about 12 to 20 times the force of gravity (g) very briefly; however, within two seconds, the forces on the cabin had already dropped to below 4 g, and within ten seconds the cabin was in free fall. These forces were likely insufficient to cause major injury. At least some of the astronauts were likely alive and briefly conscious after the breakup, because three of the four Personal Egress Air Packs (PEAPs) on the flight deck were found to have been activated. Investigators found their remaining unused air supply roughly consistent with the expected consumption during the 2 minute 45 second post-breakup trajectory. Whether the astronauts remained conscious long after the breakup is unknown, and largely depends on whether the detached crew cabin maintained pressure integrity. If it did not, time of useful consciousness at that altitude is just a few seconds; the PEAPs supplied only unpressurized air, and hence would not have helped the crew to retain consciousness. The crew cabin hit the ocean surface at roughly 334 km/h (207 mph), causing an instantaneous deceleration of over 200 g, far beyond the structural limits of the crew compartment or crew survivability levels.^[10] The term g force or gee force refers to the symbol g, the force of acceleration due to gravity at the earths surface. ... For other uses, see Free-fall (disambiguation). ... Personal Egress Air Packs, or PEAPS are devices onboard a Space Shuttle which provide crewmembers approximately six minutes of breathable air in the case of a mishap while the vehicle is still located on the ground. ... Look up air in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

On July 28, 1986, Rear Admiral Richard H. Truly, NASA's Associate Administrator for Space Flight and a former astronaut, released a report from Joseph P. Kerwin, biomedical specialist from the Johnson Space Center in Houston, relating to the deaths of the astronauts in the accident. Dr. Kerwin, a veteran of the Skylab 2 mission, had been commissioned to undertake the study soon after the accident. According to the Kerwin Report: is the 209th day of the year (210th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Richard Harrison Truly (born November 12, 1937) is a retired Vice Admiral in the United States Navy, former astronaut, and was the 8th Administrator of NASA from 1989 to 1992. ... Joseph Peter Kerwin, M.D. (Captain, MC, USN, Ret. ... An aerial view of the Johnson Space Center facility of Houston in 1989 The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is the National Aeronautics and Space Administrations center for human spaceflight activities. ... Skylab 2 or SL-2 was the first human spaceflight mission to Skylab, the first U.S. orbital space station. ...

Crew escape was not possible

Further information: Shuttle ejection escape systems, Post-Challenger abort enhancements.

During powered flight of the space shuttle, crew escape was not possible. While launch escape systems were considered several times during shuttle development, NASA's conclusion was that the shuttle's expected high reliability would preclude the need for one. Modified SR-71 Blackbird ejection seats and full pressure suits were used on the first four shuttle orbital missions, which were considered test flights, but they were removed for the operational missions that followed. Providing a launch escape system for larger crews was considered undesirable due to "limited utility, technical complexity and excessive cost in dollars, weight or schedule delays."^[12] A Space Shuttle abort is an emergency procedure due to equipment failure on NASAs Space Shuttle, most commonly during ascent. ... A Space Shuttle abort is an emergency procedure due to equipment failure on NASAs Space Shuttle, most commonly during ascent. ... SR-71 redirects here. ... US Air Force F-15 Eagle ejection seat test using a mannequin. ... Gordon Cooper in a helmet and pressure suit, A pressure suit is a pressurized suit worn by high-altitude pilots who may fly so high that even breathing pure oxygen at surrounding pressure would not provide enough oxygen for them to function: see hypoxia. ...

After the loss of Challenger, the question was re-opened, and NASA considered several different options, including ejector seats, tractor rockets and bailing out through the bottom of the orbiter. However, NASA once again concluded that all of the launch escape systems considered would be impractical due to the sweeping vehicle modifications that would have been necessary and the resultant limitations on crew size. A bail-out system was designed to give the crew the option to leave the shuttle during gliding flight; however, this system would not have been available in the Challenger scenario.^[13]

Aftermath

In the aftermath of the disaster, NASA was criticized for its lack of openness with the press. The New York Times noted on the day after the disaster that "neither Jay Greene, flight director for the ascent, nor any other person in the control room, was made available to the press by the space agency".^[14] In the absence of reliable sources, the press turned to speculation; both The New York Times and United Press International ran stories suggesting that a fault with the external tank had caused an explosion, despite the fact that NASA's internal investigation had quickly focused in on the solid rocket boosters.^[15][16] "The space agency," wrote space reporter William Harwood, "stuck to its policy of strict secrecy about the details of the investigation, an uncharacteristic stance for an agency that long prided itself on openness."^[15] The New York Times is a daily newspaper published in New York City and distributed internationally. ... Front of UPI Headquarters, Washington, D.C. “UPI” redirects here. ...

Tributes

The Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery, where some remains were buried

On the night of the disaster, President Ronald Reagan had been scheduled to give his annual State of the Union Address. He initially announced that the address would go on as scheduled, but under mounting pressure he postponed the State of the Union Address for a week and gave a national address on the Challenger disaster from the Oval Office of the White House. It was written by Peggy Noonan, and finished with the following statement, which quoted from the poem "High Flight" by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.: Download high resolution version (480x640, 90 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (480x640, 90 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Reagan redirects here. ... State of the Union redirects here. ... The Oval Office from above in 2003, during the administration of George W. Bush. ... For other uses, see White House (disambiguation). ... Peggy Noonan (born Margaret Ellen Noonan on September 7, 1950 in Brooklyn, New York) is an author of seven books on politics, religion and culture, a weekly columnist for The Wall Street Journal, and was a Special Assistant to President Ronald Reagan. ... John Gillespie Magee Jr Magees Grave, Scopwick Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee, Junior (June 9, 1922 – December 11, 1941) was a British-American aviator and poet who died fighting in World War II while serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force, which he had joined before the United States...

Three days later, President Reagan with his wife Nancy traveled to the Johnson Space Center to speak at a memorial service honoring the astronauts. It was attended by 6,000 NASA employees and 4,000 guests,^[18][19] as well as by the families of the crew.^[20] During the carefully planned ceremony, an Air Force band led the singing of "God Bless America" as NASA T-38 Talon jets flew directly over the scene, in the traditional missing-man formation.^[18][19] All activities were broadcast live by the national television networks.^[18] Nancy Davis Reagan (born Anne Frances Robbins on July 6, 1921) is the widow of the former United States President Ronald Reagan and was First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. ... An aerial view of the complete Johnson Space Center facility in Houston, Texas in 1989. ... The Northrop T-38 Talon is a widely used US-built supersonic jet trainer. ... The missing man formation flying over the USS Arizona memorial in Hawaii For the Vince Welnick group, see Missing Man Formation (band). ...

The families of the Challenger crew organized the Challenger Center for Space Science Education as a permanent memorial to the crew. Fifty-two learning centers have been established by this non-profit organization. Challenger Center is an international, not-for-profit education organization that was founded by the families of the astronauts from Challenger Space Shuttle mission 51-L. Through Challenger Centers programs and its international network of Challenger Learning Centers, the diversity, spirit, and commitment to education that exemplified the Challenger...

The City of Palmdale, the birthplace of the entire shuttle fleet, and its neighbor City of Lancaster, California, both renamed 10th Street East, from Avenue M to Edwards Air Force Base, to Challenger Way in honor of the lost shuttle and its crew. This was the road that the Challenger, Enterprise, and Columbia all were towed along in their initial move from Palmdale Airport to Edwards AFB after completion since Palmdale airport had not yet installed the shuttle crane for placement on the 747. Motto: Aerospace Capital of America Location of Palmdale in Los Angeles County, California Coordinates: , Country United States of America State California County Los Angeles Government  - Mayor James C. Ledford Jr. ... Lancaster, California, USA, is the eighth-largest city in Los Angeles County and the 9th fastest growing city in the United States. ... Edwards Air Force Base (IATA: EDW, ICAO: KEDW) is a United States Air Force airbase located on the border of Kern County and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley, 7 miles (11 km) due east of Rosamond. ... LA/Palmdale Regional Airport (IATA: PMD, ICAO: KPMD), also United States Air Force Plant 42, is an airport in the city of Palmdale in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... Atlantis transported by a Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft Schematic 3-view The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) are two extensively modified Boeing 747 jetliners that NASA uses to transport a space shuttle orbiter. ...

In addition, the City of Lancaster has built Challenger Middle School, and Challenger Memorial Hall at the former site of the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds, all in tribute to the Challenger shuttle and crew.

Funeral ceremonies

The remains of the Challenger crew are transferred to a C-141 bound for Dover Air Force Base, Delaware

The remains of the crew that were identifiable were returned to their families on April 29, 1986. Two of the crew members, Dick Scobee and Michael J. Smith, were buried by their families at Arlington National Cemetery at individual grave sites. Mission Specialist Lt. Col. Ellison Onizuka was buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (also known as the "Punchbowl") in Honolulu, Hawaii. Unidentified crew remains were buried communally at the Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial in Arlington on May 20, 1986.^[21] Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 768 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3000 × 2342 pixel, file size: 958 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 768 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3000 × 2342 pixel, file size: 958 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... The Lockheed C-141 Starlifter is a military strategic airlifter in service with the US Air Force. ... Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB (IATA: DOV, ICAO: KDOV, FAA LID: DOV) is a base of the United States Air Force in the state of Delaware. ... is the 119th day of the year (120th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Francis Richard Dick Scobee (May 19, 1939 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission. ... Michael John Smith (April 30, 1945 – January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut, pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during the STS-51-L mission. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Ellison Shoji Onizuka (June 24, 1946 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut from Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii who died during the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, where he was serving as mission specialist on mission STS-51-L. // Early life Ellison Onizuka was the oldest son and second... Like Arlington, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific is one of the most prominent of the many national cemeteries in the United States. ... Honolulu as seen from the International Space Station Honolulu is the largest city and the capital of the U.S. state of Hawai‘i. ... This article is about the U.S. State. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ...

Recovery of debris

In the first minutes after the accident, recovery efforts were begun by NASA's Launch Recovery Director, who ordered the ships used by NASA for recovery of the solid rocket boosters to be sent to the location of the water impact. Search and rescue aircraft were also dispatched. At this stage, however, debris was still falling, and the Range Safety Officer (RSO) held both aircraft and ships out of the impact area until it was safe for them to enter. It was about an hour until the RSO allowed the recovery forces to begin their work.^[22] Search and Rescue (acronym SAR) is an operation mounted by emergency services, often well-trained volunteers, to find someone believed to be in distress, lost, sick or injured either in a remote or difficult to access area, such as mountains, desert or forest (Wilderness search and rescue), or at sea...

Part of the left solid rocket booster, salvaged by search and recovery teams

The search and rescue operations which took place in the first week after the Challenger accident were managed by the Department of Defense on behalf of NASA, with assistance from the United States Coast Guard, and mostly involved surface searches. According to the Coast Guard, "the operation was the largest surface search in which they had participated."^[22] This phase of operations lasted until February 7. Thereafter, recovery efforts were managed by a Search, Recovery, and Reconstruction team; its aim was to salvage debris that would help in determining the cause of the accident. Sonar, divers, remotely-operated submersibles and manned submersibles were all used during the search, which covered an area of 480 square nautical miles (1600 km²), and took place at depths of up to 1200 feet (370 m). By May 1, enough of the right solid rocket booster had been recovered to determine the original cause of the accident, and the major salvage operations were concluded. While some shallow-water recovery efforts continued, this was unconnected with the accident investigation; it aimed to recover debris for use in NASA's studies of the properties of materials used in spacecraft and launch vehicles.^[22] The recovery operation was able to pull 15 tons of debris from the ocean; 55% of Challenger, 5% of the crew cabin and 65% of the satellite cargo is still missing.^[23] Some of the missing debris still washes up on Florida shores, such as on December 17, 1996, nearly eleven years after the incident, when two large pieces of the shuttle were found at Cocoa Beach.^[24] Under Title 18, United States Code, Section 641 it is against the law to be in possession of Challenger debris and any newly discovered pieces have to be turned in to NASA.^[25] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1440x1152, 373 KB) STS-51-L Recovered Debris (Left Solid Rocket Booster) http://grin. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1440x1152, 373 KB) STS-51-L Recovered Debris (Left Solid Rocket Booster) http://grin. ... The United States Department of Defense (DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the military. ... USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk USCG HC-130H departs Mojave USCG HC-130H on International Ice Patrol duties The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is at all times a branch of the U.S. military, a maritime law enforcement agency, and a federal regulatory body. ... is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo and sometimes the crew from peril. ... This article is about underwater sound propagation. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... This article is about the unit of measure. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar). ... Cocoa Beach sunrise. ...

On board Challenger was an American flag, dubbed the Challenger flag, that was sponsored by Boy Scout Troop 514 of Monument, Colorado. It was recovered intact, still sealed in its cargo bag. The flag was an American flag that was in the flight kit of the final Challenger mission. ... Elkhorn High Adventure Base Scouting in Colorado has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the rugged, mountainous environment in which they live. ... Monument is a town located in El Paso County, Colorado. ...

The Australian aviator Bert Hinkler, the second person (after Charles Lindbergh) to fly solo across the Atlantic, had a connection with the Challenger disaster. A small piece of wood, a relic from one of Hinkler's hand-made gliders, was presented to the astronaut Don Lind in early 1986 as a token of appreciation for his coming to Bundaberg to contribute to the Hinkler Memorial Lectures. Lind in turn gave it to Dick Scobee, who took it with him on board the Challenger, inside a small plastic bag that he placed in his locker. After the explosion, the bag and the wood were recovered from the sea, identified, mounted, and later returned to the Hinkler Memorial Museum in Bundaberg. [1] [2] [3]. Hinkler and his Avro Avian Herbert Hinkler AFC DSM (8 December 1892 – 8 January 1933) - better known as Bert Hinkler, was a pioneer Australian aviator. ... Charles Augustus Lindbergh (4 February 1902 – 26 August 1974), known as Lucky Lindy and The Lone Eagle, was an American pilot famous for the first solo, non-stop flight across the Atlantic, from Roosevelt Field, Long Island to Paris in 1927 in the Spirit of St. ... Don Leslie Lind is a former NASA astronaut who was born in Midvale, Utah on May 18, 1930. ... Bundaberg is a coastal city in Queensland, Australia. ... Francis Richard Dick Scobee (May 19, 1939 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission. ...

Rogers Commission investigation

Main article: Rogers Commission

The Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident, also known as the Rogers Commission (after its chairman), was formed to investigate the disaster. The commission members were chairman and former Secretary of State William P. Rogers, astronauts Neil Armstrong (Vice Chairman) and Sally Ride, lawyer David C. Acheson, aviation specialists Eugene Covert and Robert Hotz, physicists Richard Feynman, Albert Wheelon, and Arthur B. C. Walker, Jr., former Air Force general Donald Kutyna, Robert Rummel, Joseph Sutter, and test pilot Chuck Yeager. The commission worked for several months and published a report of its findings. The Rogers Commission Report was created by a Presidential Commission charged to investigate the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion on its 10th mission, STS-51-L. The comprehensive 225-page report documented the technical and managerial factors that contributed to the accident. ... The Rogers Commission Report was created by a Presidential Commission charged to investigate the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion on its 10th mission, STS-51-L. The comprehensive 225-page report documented the technical and managerial factors that contributed to the accident. ... William Pierce Rogers (June 23, 1913 – January 2, 2001) was an American politician, who served as a Cabinet officer in the administrations of two U.S. Presidents in the third quarter of the 20th century. ... This article is about the former American astronaut. ... Sally Kristen Ride (born May 26, 1951) is an American former astronaut who in 1983 became the first American woman to reach outer space. ... David Campion Acheson (born 4 November 1921, Washington, District of Columbia) is a son of former Secretary of State, Dean Gooderham Acheson. ... Professor Emeritus Eugene E. Covert of aeronautics and astronautics was an aeronautics specialist credited with the worlds first practical wind tunnel magnetic suspension system, and was a member of the Rogers Commission. ... This article is about the physicist. ... Arthur Bertram Cuthbert Walker, Jr. ... Donald J. Kutyna (b. ... Joseph F. Sutter was a design engineer and project manager for Boeing. ... Charles Elwood Chuck Yeager (born February 13, 1923) is a retired Brigadier General in the United States Air Force and a noted test pilot. ...

Members of the Rogers Commission arrive at Kennedy Space Center.

It found that the Challenger accident was caused by a failure in the O-rings sealing the aft field joint on the right solid rocket booster, which allowed pressurized hot gases and eventually flame to "blow by" the O-ring and make contact with the adjacent external tank, causing structural failure. The failure of the O-rings was attributed to a design flaw, as their performance could be too easily compromised by factors including the low temperature on the day of launch.^[26] More broadly, the report also considered the contributing causes of the accident. Most salient was the failure of both NASA and its contractor, Morton Thiokol, to respond adequately to the design flaw. This led the Rogers Commission to conclude that the Challenger disaster was "an accident rooted in history."^[27] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1420x1116, 612 KB) Source: http://grin. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1420x1116, 612 KB) Source: http://grin. ... The Rogers Commission Report was created by a Presidential Commission charged to investigate the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion on its 10th mission, STS-51-L. The comprehensive 225-page report documented the technical and managerial factors that contributed to the accident. ... Merritt Island and Kennedy Space Center (shown in white). ... Typical O-ring and application An O-ring is a loop of elastomer with a round (o-shaped) cross-section used as a mechanical seal. ... A Trident C-4 FBM launches and fires its Thiokol solid rocket first stage Thiokol (variously Thiokol Chemical Company, Morton-Thiokol Inc. ...

The report also strongly criticized the decision making process that led to the launch of Challenger, saying that it was seriously flawed. The report cited evidence that NASA managers did not know of Thiokol's initial concerns about the effects of the cold on the O-rings, and did not understand that Rockwell viewed the large amount of ice present on the pad as a constraint to launch.^[28] It concluded that: Rockwell International was the ultimate incarnation of a series of companies under the sphere of influence of Willard Rockwell, who had made his fortune after the invention and successful launch of a new bearing system for truck axles in 1919. ...

Role of Richard Feynman

Main article: Richard Feynman#Challenger disaster

One of the commission's best-known members was theoretical physicist Richard Feynman. His style of investigating with his own direct methods rather than following the commission schedule put him at odds with Rogers, who once commented, "Feynman is becoming a real pain." During a televised hearing, Feynman famously demonstrated how the O-rings became less resilient and subject to seal failures at ice-cold temperatures by immersing a sample of the material in a glass of ice water.^[30]

Feynman was so critical of flaws in NASA's "safety culture" that he threatened to remove his name from the report unless it included his personal observations on the reliability of the shuttle, which appeared as Appendix F.^[31][32] In the appendix, he argued that the estimates of reliability offered by NASA management were wildly unrealistic, differing as much as a thousandfold from the estimates of working engineers. "For a successful technology," he concluded, "reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled."^[33]

Feynman later wrote about the investigation in his 1988 book What Do You Care What Other People Think?.^[34][35] The second half of the book covers the investigation and the issues between science and politics.^[35] What Do You Care What Other People Think?: Further Adventures of a Curious Character is the second of two books consisting of transcribed and edited oral reminiscences from American physicist Richard Feynman. ...

Feynman later reported that, although he had believed he was making discoveries about the problems at NASA on his own, he eventually realized that NASA or contractor personnel, in an apparent effort to anonymously focus attention on these problem areas, had carefully led him to the evidence which would support the conclusions on which he would later report.^[36]

U.S. House Committee hearings

The U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology also conducted hearings, and on October 29, 1986 released its own report on the Challenger accident.^[37] The committee reviewed the findings of the Rogers Commission as part of its investigation, and agreed with the Rogers Commission as to the technical causes of the accident. However, it differed from the committee in its assessment of the accident's contributing causes. The Committee on Science is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ...

NASA response

After the Challenger accident, further shuttle flights were suspended, pending the results of the Rogers Commission investigation. Whereas NASA had held an internal inquiry into the Apollo 1 fire in 1967, its actions after Challenger were more constrained by the judgments of outside bodies. The Rogers Commission offered nine recommendations on improving safety in the space shuttle program, and NASA was directed by President Reagan to report back within thirty days as to how it planned to implement those recommendations.^[39] Apollo 1 is the official name given to the never-flown Apollo/Saturn 204 (AS-204) mission. ...

In response to the commission's recommendation, NASA initiated a total redesign of the space shuttle's solid rocket boosters, which was watched over by an independent oversight group as stipulated by the commission.^[39] NASA's contract with Morton Thiokol, the contractor responsible for the solid rocket boosters, included a clause stating that in the event of a failure leading to "loss of life or mission," Thiokol would forfeit $10 million of its incentive fee and formally accept legal liability for the failure. After the Challenger accident, Thiokol agreed to "voluntarily accept" the monetary penalty in exchange for not being forced to accept liability.^[40]

NASA also created a new Office of Safety, Reliability and Quality Assurance, headed as the commission had specified by a NASA associate administrator who reported directly to the NASA administrator. George Martin, formerly of Martin Marietta, was appointed to this position.^[41] Former Challenger flight director Jay Greene became chief of the Safety Division of the directorate.^[42] Martin Marietta Corporation was founded in 1961 through the merger of The Martin Company and American-Marietta Corporation. ... Jay Greene is a retired NASA engineer. ...

The unrealistically optimistic launch schedule pursued by NASA had been criticized by the Rogers Commission as a possible contributing cause to the accident. After the accident, NASA attempted to aim at a more realistic shuttle flight rate: it added another orbiter, Endeavour, to the space shuttle fleet in order to replace Challenger, and it worked with the Department of Defense in order to put more satellites in orbit using expendable launch vehicles rather than the shuttle.^[43] In August 1986, President Reagan also announced that the shuttle would no longer carry commercial satellite payloads. After a 32-month hiatus, the next shuttle mission, STS-26, was launched on September 29, 1988. Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-105), is the fifth and final operational NASA space shuttle. ... An expendable launch system is a single-use launch vehicle usually used to launch a payload into space. ... For other uses, see Satellite (disambiguation). ... STS-26 was a space shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Discovery. ... is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ...

Although significant changes were made by NASA after the Challenger accident, many commentators have argued that the changes in its management structure and organizational culture were neither deep nor long-lasting. After the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003, attention once again focused on the attitude of NASA management towards safety issues. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) concluded that NASA had failed to learn many of the lessons of Challenger. In particular, the agency had not set up a truly independent office for safety oversight; the CAIB felt that in this area, "NASA's response to the Rogers Commission did not meet the Commission's intent".^[44] The CAIB believed that "the causes of the institutional failure responsible for Challenger have not been fixed," saying that the same "flawed decision making process" that had resulted in the Challenger accident was responsible for Columbia's destruction seventeen years later.^[45] For further information about Columbias mission and crew, see STS-107. ... Memorial emblem for the three U.S. human space flight accidents. ... Space Shuttle Columbia (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASAs orbital fleet. ...

Impact

Media coverage

While the presence of New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe on the Challenger crew had provoked some media interest, there was little live coverage of the launch. The only public live national coverage was provided by CNN. Due to McAuliffe's presence on the mission, NASA arranged for many U.S. public schools to view the launch live on NASA TV.^[46] As a result, many who were schoolchildren in the US in 1986 did in fact have the opportunity to view the launch live. After the accident, however, seventeen percent of respondents in one study reported that they had seen the shuttle launch, while eighty-five percent said that they had learned of the accident within an hour. As the authors of the paper reported, "only two studies have revealed more rapid dissemination [of news]." (One of those studies was of the spread of news in Dallas after President Kennedy's assassination, while the other was the spread of news among students at Kent State regarding President Franklin D. Roosevelt's death.)^[47] Another study noted that "even those who were not watching television at the time of the disaster were almost certain to see the graphic pictures of the accident replayed as the television networks reported the story almost continuously for the rest of the day."^[48] Children were even more likely than adults to have seen the accident live, since many children—forty-eight percent of nine to thirteen-year-olds, according to a New York Times poll—watched the launch at school.^[48] For other uses, see New Hampshire (disambiguation). ... Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe (September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher from Concord, New Hampshire who was selected from among more than 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space. ... The Cable News Network, commonly known as CNN, is a major cable television network founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. ... NASA TV (originally NASA Select) is the television network of the U.S. space agency, NASA. NASA TV is broadcast by satellite, and also simulcast over the Internet. ... Dallas redirects here. ... President Kennedy with his wife, Jacqueline, and Texas Governor John Connally in the presidential limousine just moments before his assassination The assassination of John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, took place on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, USA at 12:30 p. ... For the events of May 4, 1970, see Kent State shootings Kent State University (also known as Kent, Kent State or KSU) is one of America’s largest university systems, the third largest university in Ohio after Ohio State University (57,748) and the University of Cincinnati (35,364), and... FDR redirects here. ...

Following the day of the accident, press interest remained high. While only 535 reporters were accredited to cover the launch, three days later there were 1467 reporters at Kennedy Space Center and another 1040 at Johnson Space Center. The accident made headlines in newspapers worldwide.^[15]

Use as case study

The Challenger accident has frequently been used as a case study in the study of subjects such as engineering safety, the ethics of whistle-blowing, communications, and group decision-making. It is part of the required readings for engineers seeking a professional license in Canada^[49] and other countries. Roger Boisjoly, the engineer who had warned about the effect of cold weather on the O-rings, left his job at Morton Thiokol and became a speaker on workplace ethics.^[50] He argues that the caucus called by Morton Thiokol managers, which resulted in a recommendation to launch, "constituted the unethical decision-making forum resulting from intense customer intimidation."^[51] Universities such as MIT, Texas A&M, the University of Texas, Drexel University, the Technology & Society Class at Pennsylvania College of Technology, and the Gemstone program at the University of Maryland have also used the accident in classes on the ethics of engineering.^[52][53] A whistleblower is someone in an organization who witnesses behavior by members that is either contrary to the mission of the organization, or threatening to the public interest, and who decides to speak out publicly about it. ... Roger Boisjoly (born 25 April 1938) is an engineer who worked for Morton Thiokol, the manufacturer of the solid rocket boosters of the space shuttle. ... Mapúa Institute of Technology (MIT, MapúaTech or simply Mapúa) is a private, non-sectarian, Filipino tertiary institute located in Intramuros, Manila. ... Texas A&M University redirects here. ... University of Texas redirects here. ... Drexel University is an institution of higher learning and research located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ... The University of Maryland, College Park (also known as UM, UMD, or UMCP) is a public university located in the city of College Park, in Prince Georges County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C., in the United States. ... Engineering ethics is the field of ethics describing the obligations of those who are professional engineers to their clients or employers, and their obligations to society as a whole. ...

Information designer Edward Tufte has used the Challenger accident as an example of the problems that can occur when information is presented unclearly. He argues that if Morton Thiokol engineers had more clearly presented the data that they had on the relationship between cold temperatures and burn-through in the solid rocket booster joints, they might have succeeded in persuading NASA managers to cancel the launch.^[54] Tufte has also argued that poor presentation of information may have affected NASA decisions during the last flight of the Columbia.^[55] Edward Rolf Tufte (IPA /ˈtʌf. ... A Trident C-4 FBM launches and fires its Thiokol solid rocket first stage Thiokol (variously Thiokol Chemical Company, Morton-Thiokol Inc. ...

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... CBS News logo, used from Sept. ... CBS News logo, used from Sept. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 234th day of the year (235th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 200th day of the year (201st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... WGBH is an established public television and public radio broadcast service located in Boston, Massachusetts. ... Nova is a popular science television series from the USA produced by WGBH and can be seen on PBS and in more than 100 countries. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Roger Boisjoly (born 25 April 1938) is an engineer who worked for Morton Thiokol, the manufacturer of the solid rocket boosters of the space shuttle. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Edward Rolf Tufte (IPA /ˈtʌf. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

• Boisjoly, Roger. Ethical Decisions - Morton Thiokol and the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster: Telecon Meeting. onlineethics.org. Retrieved on 2007-04-24.
• CNN.com (1996), Shuttle Challenger debris washes up on shore. Retrieved on July 4, 2006.
• Columbia Accident Investigation Board (2003). Report of Columbia Accident Investigation Board.
• Engineering Ethics:The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. Department of Philosophy and Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
• Feynman, Richard P. (1986) Appendix F- Personal Observations on Reliability of Shuttle.
• Feynman, Richard P. with Ralph Leighton, What Do You Care What Other People Think? Further Adventures of a Curious Character, hardcover 256 pages, Publisher: W W Norton & Co Ltd (7-Dec-1988), ISBN-10: 0393026590, ISBN-13: 978-0393026597, or paperback 256 pages, Publisher: Bantam (October 1, 1989), ISBN-10: 0553347845, ISBN-13: 978-0553347845, or paperback 256 pages, Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company (January 2001), ISBN-10: 0393320928, ISBN-13: 978-0393320923.
• Greene, J.H., NASA Johnson Space Center Oral History Project Biographical Data Sheet.
• Harwood, William (1986). Voyage Into History; Chapter Six: The Reaction. Archived by the Internet Archive on 2006-05-04.
• Hoover, Kurt; Wallace T. Fowler. Studies in Ethics, Safety, and Liability for Engineers: Space Shuttle Challenger. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas Space Grant Consortium. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
• Jensen, Claus. (1996) No Downlink: A Dramatic Narrative about the Challenger Accident and Our Time. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux. ISBN 0-374-12036-6.
• Kerwin, Joseph P. (1986). Challenger crew cause and time of death. Retrieved on July 4, 2006.
• McConnell, Malcolm. (1987) Challenger: A Major Malfunction. Garden City, NY: Doubleday. ISBN 0-385-23877-0.
• M8 Entertainment Inc. (May 24, 2006). Media 8 To Produce "Challenger" Directed by Philip Kaufman. spaceref.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-21.
• NASA (July 14, 1986). Report to the President: Actions to Implement the Recommendations of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident (PDF). NASA.
• Photo and TV Analysis Team Report. Space Shuttle Challenger Accident Investigation. STS-51L Data and Analysis Task Force.
• Reinhold, Robert. "At Mission Control, Silence and Grief Fill a Day Long Dreaded", New York Times, January 29, 1986, pp. A8. 
• Rendez-Vous Houston. jarreuk.com. Retrieved on 2006-11-19.
• Riffe, Daniel; James Glen Stoval (Autumn 1989). "Diffusion of News of Shuttle Disaster: What Role for Emotional Response?". Journalism Quarterly. Association for education in journalism and mass communication. 
• Rogers Commission report (1986). Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident.
• Rogers Commission report (1987). Implementation of the Recommendations of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident.
• Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Address to the nation on the Challenger disaster. Retrieved on July 4, 2006.
• Shuttle Challenger Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery. arlingtoncemetery.net. Retrieved on 2006-09-18.
• Tufte, Edward. (1997) Visual Explanations, ISBN 0-9613921-2-6.
• U.S House Committee on Science and Technology (October 29, 1986.). Investigation of the Challenger Accident; Report of the Committee on Science and Technology, House of Representatives. (PDF). US Government Printing Office.
• Vaughan, Diane. (1996) The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture and Deviance at NASA. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-85176-1.
• Wright, John C.; Dale Kunkel; Marites Pinon; Aletha C. Huston (Spring 1989). "How Children Reacted to Televised Coverage of the Space Shuttle Disaster". Journal of Communication 39 (2). 

Roger Boisjoly (born 25 April 1938) is an engineer who worked for Morton Thiokol, the manufacturer of the solid rocket boosters of the space shuttle. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the physicist. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 144th day of the year (145th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 195th day of the year (196th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 29th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Edward Rolf Tufte (IPA /ˈtʌf. ... is the 302nd day of the year (303rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ...

External links

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• NASA History Office. Challenger STS 51-L Accident. NASA. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
• NASA Kennedy Space Center. Sequence of Major Events of the Challenger Accident. NASA.
• Rogers Commission (1986). Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident.
• Harwood, William; Rob Navias. Challenger timeline. Spaceflight Now. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
• Photo and TV Analysis Team Report. Space Shuttle Challenger Accident Investigation. STS-51L Data and Analysis Task Force. (Video)
• CBS Radio news Bulletin of the Challenger Disaster Anchored by Christopher Glenn from 1/28/86 Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
• Space Shuttle Memorial (2008). Space Shuttle Memorial.
• Extensive collection of launch videos
• ABC News story on the disaster

v • d • e STS-51-L
Main articles	Space Shuttle Challenger · Space Shuttle Challenger disaster · STS-51-L Mission timeline · Space Shuttle Challenger launch decision
Crew	Scobee (Cmdr) · Smith · Resnik · Onizuka · McNair · Jarvis · McAuliffe

Image File history File links --Space_Shuttle_Challenger_Disaster--.ogg‎ This is the first part of a spoken word version of the article Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. ... Image File history File links Sound-icon. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 324th day of the year (325th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission 51L/STS-33, the 25th of the STS (Space Transportation System) program, began at an estimated time of 16:38:00. ... Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was NASAs second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, Columbia being the first. ... STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time a civilian had flown aboard the Space Shuttle. ... A view of Space Shuttle Challenger shortly before launch. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Francis Richard Dick Scobee (May 19, 1939 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died commanding the Space Shuttle Challenger, which suffered catastrophic booster failure during launch of the STS-51-L mission. ... Michael John Smith (April 30, 1945 – January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut, pilot of the Space Shuttle Challenger when it was destroyed during the STS-51-L mission. ... Dr. Judith Arlene Resnik (April 5, 1949 – January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died at the age of 36 in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster during the launch of the mission STS-51-L. Resnik was born in Akron, Ohio and attended Hebrew school. ... Ellison Shoji Onizuka (June 24, 1946 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut from Kealakekua, Kona, Hawaii who died during the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger, where he was serving as mission specialist on mission STS-51-L. // Early life Ellison Onizuka was the oldest son and second... Ronald Erwin McNair, Ph. ... Gregory Jarvis Memorial at Hermosa Beach Gregory Bruce Jarvis (August 24, 1944 - January 28, 1986) was an American astronaut who died during the destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger on mission STS-51-L, where he was serving as payload specialist. ... Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe (September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) was an American teacher from Concord, New Hampshire who was selected from among more than 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space. ...