Seconds From Disaster - Space Shuttle Challenger part 1

[biggary2485]

NASA is pathetic i mean they knew all of this and still let it fly what a lack of pure safety concern so lazy.

[betamale3]

NASA managers were warned, but decided to risk the astronaut's lives without telling them.

Thats pretty close to murder

[garycalgary]

I had a test that day and there were tons of people around the television. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate that day.

I wondered for years if the people were ever found.

Still find it sickening the camera focused on Christa MacAuliffe's parents as they realized their daughter was gone. It was a sickenenly crass moment

[DrDontDoDis]

2 failures out of well over 100 launches is an extraordinary statistic for spaceflight. Everything about space is hostile, from the vacuum to radiation to debris, and getting there and back is all but a miracle of science. The shuttle has also had a number of incidents that were disruptive, but not fatal, which demonstrates the the relative toughness of its systems.

Remember that the Apollo program had one (nearly two) fatal flights after just 17 missions.

[helljumpr5150]

@DrDontDoDis Compare with the Russian Soyuz, 2 fatal flights on 112 missions since 1967 and still used today. By far the most reliable spacecraft built.

[DrDontDoDis]

@helljumpr5150 Umm... the space shuttle had 135 flights with two fatal. That's at least as reliable. Soyuz rockets also failed on two occasions, both of which required aborts, one of which seriously injured the crew. And the Soyuz were the least problematic craft the Soviets had, other rockets killed hundreds of technicians. It was safer to fly a Soviet rocket than it was to fuel one!

[Mrmephostophilis]

LOW FPS ...

[chikowen]

does anyone know the music playing from 3:05 to 3:52??

[Boogyman4050]

It should of exploded just off the launch pad from that O ring deal, but because Challenger was such a tough shuttle, it took a combo of events to finally destroy it. That turbulence they hit at throttle up was the last cause event. The old man that knew was powerless to stop the launch. Maybe he should of tried chaining himself to some part of the launch pad. That might of delayed launch, while they took him into custody.

[Squamata2468]

"Nine trouble-free flights" isn't really true. On Challenger's eighth mission, one of its main engines failed during ascent and it had to enter a lower orbit than planned.

[golfgirl778]

nasa is changes

[mjwible27]

I was 7 years old, a day before my 8th b-day, watched this on T.V and could not believe it happened, very sad.

[callofdutywawcj1]

Should have listen to that man.

[pattisgirls]

I know some people are blind to this fact, so just to bring it their attention, Christa was not the only person on that shuttle, there were 6 others up there. I mean, I might not be very NASA knowledgable, but last time I checked a school teacher doesnt know how to operate a space shuttle. R.I.P to ALL who died that day.

[jdelgado360]

It's like when Peter griffin ordered the soup but wanted the salad but it was too late...

[neerredd]

shoulda listened to the old guy smh!

[hhluvzmagik]

Those astronauts were still alive when they hit the water

[GravityKaguya]

@hhluvzmagik Yeah, that is scary knowning that they were alive when they were falling towards earth.

[radlert4DF]

i guess the negative comments here were russians

[1997girlygurl1997]

hell ya man

[inachinch]

So "long" ago but I still remember those pictures on TV back then, when I was a kid ... may they rest in peace :-(

[400sean]

0:31. anyone notice something leaking. like fuel.

[TheWittumator]

wasnt it a water pipe that burst or something like that that made all the ice on the pad?

[jnhinman1]

The problem was both Columbia and Challenger had engineer's in NASA warning of serious problems, and rather listen, upper management decided, hey everythings fine. So the so called "Smart" engineers we have hired and pay very well, we're not going to listen to them, and instead take a chance. We still would be 130 for 130 had someone inside NASA listened and done something. Afternoon launch for Challenger and spacewalk for Columbia, but I know this is all hindsight the easiest sight of all...

[jnhinman1]

The problem was both Columbia and Challenger had engineer's in NASA warning of serious problems, and rather listen, upper management decided, hey everythings fine. So the so called "Smart" engineers we have hired and pay very well, we're not going to listen to them, and instead take a chance. We still would be 130 for 130 had someone inside NASA listened and done something.

[IIIIandrew]

The astronauts had time to switch from the shuttles oxygen supply to their independent space suit supply which means their deaths weren't quick and they survived the initial explosion at least for a few seconds.

[IIIIandrew]

The astronauts had time to swithc from the shuttles oxygen supply to their independant space suit supply which means their deaths weren't quick and they survived the initial explosion at least for a few seconds.

[arongutten9107]

no one cares about the russian space adveture thou :/

[KSKSKS03]

this is so sad.. R.I.P to those who died that day.

[horselover8997]

I feel so sad for people on the challenger!!! I heard that they didn't die from the explosion, it was from the impact from hitting the water, but it might not be true.

[babylad]

It was too cold that morning!

[pittman6786]

Ignoring the warnings and red flags before this disaster is just one of the many reasons NASA needs to be shut down....and the ones that ignored the warnings should be tried for 7 counts of murder.

[jjobie]

@pittman6786 I agree, or at least manslaughter.

I can watch footage of the 9/11 attacks (and I actually SAW that happening from across the river in NY), I can watch the footage of the Columbia breakup, I can watch almost anything... but this Challenger footage still cuts into me like a knife, 25 years later. :(

[bubblinbrownsugar616]

@pittman6786 Yes go ahead and shut NASA down. Then the crew really would have died in vain. Idiot.

[LOLMAN22]

how sad!! Gotta feel bad for the families

[sideslide23]

25 years ago from today.

[solsisod]

dick scooby

[bildtker76]

Typical scrap US design. It is a miracle no people have died if you look with what kind of scrap they fly into space. The problem was the US could not steal the technology from other country's this time, that's why the design was so bad this time.

[tko741]

@bildtker76 All due respect to the deceased crew, but this 'scrap' you refer to has 2 operational failures for 130 successful flights.

NASA admittedly made some bad calls, but spaceflight is a constant gamble. Unless you design your own more successful orbital vehicle, I'll enjoy smirking at your irrelevant and ignorant comment.

[newmanbeatbox]

@tko741 I'd say they fucked up.

[newmanbeatbox]

@tko741 "NASA admittedly made some bad calls"? I'd say they fucked up.

[tittyj2020]

@tko741 It's even a bigger gamble when there were obvious red flags that were ignored

[DLPBurke]

@tko741 and 2 in 130 is not safe at all. It is awful.

[mgibbs88]

@tko741 I know NASA doesn't make crap, but 2 failures is pretty bad. Especially considering we only have built 5 shuttles (enterprise was used only for testing) and 2 of them were destroyed. Soyuz is cheaper and far more reliable.

[bubblinbrownsugar616]

@tko741 Thank you for taking the idiot to school. Sick of these stupid idiots who don't think before they type.

[stewartx5]

@tko741

That's one crash every 65 flights. A failure rate that high in any other machine or device would be considered a total calamity, especially if each failure resulted in several deaths. Few would purchase a car, for example, if that resulted in a deadly crash after only a few weeks (±30 round trips to work or the store).

[DLPBurke]

@tko741 2 in 130 is a bad odd. Very bad.

[DLPBurke]

@tko741 Especially when nasa puts money before safety. It has done that twice.

[scorpianofthesun]

@tko741 In other words, the space shuttle could be built with the highest technology and equipped with state of the art safety equipment, but there's always going to be a risk going up into space.

[loner1878]

@bildtker76

As opposed to the flawless space shuttles produced in the Netherlands, right? Oh wait, thats right, your country hasn't done shit for space exploration compared to the US, LOL.

[sidoney101]

@loner1878

Bit of an unfair comparison me thinks given the difference in size, population and spending power between the Netherlands and USA. It would be like asking Massachusetts to run and fund all of NASA. The Dutch do contribute to ESA and a lot of satelites, probes and instruments have been built there. Not quite up there with NASA I know but more than people think. Thing is the Dutch don't shout about everything they've done.

[loner1878]

@sidoney101

Not much to shout about, lol. And pardon us for thinking that orbiting the earth, getting the first man on the moon and exploring space is "something to shout about." How rude of us.

[sidoney101]

@loner1878

Yes very rude LOL ;). Just sticking up for the little country. Seriously though I wish ESA, the Russians etc would invest as much as NASA in space. Everything happens so slowly. I hope I'm still around when when they land on Mars.

[bombarderoazul]

poor design on part of the americans, the russians launch rockets from sub-zero temperatures because their rockets are designed to operate in such environments. It's hard to believe the americans never designed the shuttle to fly in cold temperatures.

[griffy1988]

dick hehehehe

[TheLadyG32]

By the way, you would think they are launching from Siberia, I didn't know it gets so cold down in Florida. I am not from states so I don't know.

[antiKWM]

@TheLadyG32 usually it doesnt.....

[TheLadyG32]

That Boisjoly guy was honest, responsible and caring man, he did everything possible to stop this disaster, but there was nothing he could do against mighty beast called “nasa administration”

[TnsuTuba13]

@quadcatfly Watch your mouth you racist bitch.......This country has move past those times

[tealmarlin]

what is the name of the engineer for Morton-Thiokol, is it Tom.....(last name???)

he has to be one of the best Rocket engineer at the time to know the risks of the effects of the cold weather on the shuttle O rings, and be 100% correct. To bad Nasa didnt listen to him.

[jmsschooner]

that man was right

[Lancer2884]

8:25 "The NASA can't do no wrong"... Well it clearly seems they can. NASA are also people that might fuck up. Sad but true.

[grosquipue]

These helmets look like motorbike helmets, not astronauts helmets!

[mattstorm360]

my moms school when she wa a kid she wachs all thes shuttls go.

but thay stopt doing that cuz of thes.

[under0ath316]

00:40, the way the narrator says 'millions of television viewers' sounds so creepy, like as if it was his evil plan lol

before the challenger and columbia disasters, everybody knew what was happening. but the astronauts didn't and the press didn't, and thats all that mattered, they just crossed their fingers. come to find out that nasa could have sent up atlantis to the columbia shuttle to rescue them in plenty of time, but would you risk another several astronauts lives to save the others?

[vtecivicsib18]

If this shit exploded on 4th of july it would of been like a killer bottle rocket and it would be a classic!!!!

[sakar181]

@vtecivicsib18

Diaf. FFS

[eltonfan30]

@vtecivicsib18

It is 'Would Have' NOT 'Would of'

The subtlety in pronunciation leads to the rampant misuse of this phrase; however “would of” is never correct and may make you appear as if you are not educated and stupid - which you probably are.

[vtecivicsib18]

@eltonfan30 Am i reall the one who is stupid, you care about my grammar and im the stupid one.. find something real to talk about n go cry to mommy about it..

[M4DDZ]

@eltonfan30

What a total sadistic TWAT!...get.a.fuckingggg...lif­e!

how much attension do you have to pay to somones comment,to notice that,and then feel you need to comment about a mispelt comment...what a full scale nob you are.

[HunkeyPunk]

I've never seen the Whiteroom recordings before... amazing...

[ftegger4347899]

Where's part 2?

[trekkiepro]

It is on youtube.