US EditionOn This Day, Jan. 28: Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes Killing 7
Memorials honor the seven lost crew members and STEM programs inspired by Challenger's legacy engage students nationwide, with the Challenger Center reaching millions annually.
- Forty years ago, Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after liftoff, killing its seven-member crew during a launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
- Thiokol engineers warned the seals risked failure in 36°F launch conditions, but NASA managers overruled them; the Rogers Commission found the decision to launch was flawed.
- Photographic and telemetry data showed early smoke puffs and a flickering flame at the right Solid Rocket Booster joint, with control corrections from 62 seconds and crew activating Personal Egress Air Packs.
- Flights were grounded and redesigns followed, halting shuttle missions for two and a half years while NASA and Kennedy Space Center visitor complex established memorials including the 'Forever Remembered' exhibit.
- The disaster forced lasting safety and cultural reforms across the global space community, while Christa McAuliffe, New Hampshire middle school teacher, was selected from more than 10,000 applicants, shaping education programs.
94 Articles
94 Articles
NASA’s Challenger space shuttle disintegrated over the Atlantic Ocean on January 28, 1986. The mission tragically ended just 73 seconds after collation from the Florida coast. The seven crew members died before the eyes of their family members and millions of international spectators. What happened on January 28, 1986 with the ChallengerThe space shuttle exploded 14 kilometres high due to a technical failure in its engines during the initial asc…
Challenger at 40: How a Tragedy Reshaped Spaceflight’s Culture and Ethics
On Jan. 28, 1986, the world stood still. Seventy-three seconds after liftoff, Space Shuttle Challenger was lost, along with its seven-member crew: Francis “Dick” Scobee, Michael Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Gregory Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe. The tragedy unfolded live on television, imprinting itself on a generation and forever changing the trajectory of human spaceflight. Forty years later, we remember them not only f…
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