Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster
January 28, 1986 · 20th Century
On January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after launch at an altitude of 46,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven crew members. An O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster failed in the unusually cold launch-day temperatures, allowing pressurized hot gas to breach the joint and compromise the external fuel tank's structural integrity. NASA had been aware of the O-ring design flaw since 1977. The Rogers Commission investigation prompted changes to NASA's safety protocols and management structure.
Key Figures
Francis R. "Dick" ScobeeMichael J. SmithEllison S. OnizukaJudith A. ResnikRonald E. McNairS. Christa McAuliffeGregory B. Jarvis
Locations
Kennedy Space CenterKennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39BChallenger Crash Site
Topics
AccidentdisasterSpace ShuttleSTS-51-LChallenger
Connected Events — 3 Connections
Apollo 13's successful failure recovery created NASA's institutional culture of 'failure is not an option' and established protocols for crisis management, but also may have fostered overconfidence in the agency's ability to overcome technical problems through heroic engineering Apollo 13 Mission Launched
Columbia's successful first flight validated the shuttle design concept, but the later Challenger explosion exposed fatal flaws in the solid rocket boosters that had shown early warning signs during STS-1's flight anomalies First Space Shuttle Columbia Launch
Discovery's successful 1984 mission with Judith Resnik validated shuttle design and crew training protocols that were later applied to Challenger, creating institutional confidence that may have contributed to launch decision-making under marginal conditions Space Shuttle Discovery Launched
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