Space Shuttle Challenger - The Disaster

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. The mission used Space Shuttle Challenger, which lifted off from Launch Complex 39-B on January 28, 1986 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The mission ended in disaster following the destruction of Challenger 73 seconds after lift-off because of the failure of an O-ring seal on Challenger's right Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). The failure of the seal allowed a blow-torch like flare to impinge upon one of two aft SRB attach struts, which eventually failed, freeing the booster to pivot about its remaining attachment points. Subsequently, the forward part of the booster cylinder impacted the external tank (ET) intertank area, leading to a structural failure of the ET - the core structural component of the entire stack. A rapid burning of liberated propellants ensued. With the structural "backbone" of the stack compromised and breaking up, the SRBs flew off on their own, as did the orbiter, which rapidly disintegrated due to the overwhelming aerodynamic forces.

Evidence later re-opened shows that one of the Oxygen Tanks carried by crew members in case of such a disaster had been activated, showing that one of the crew members may have been alive during the fall into the sea. If this is so, that crew member is likely to have died and/or disintegrated due to massive amounts of g-force, much like the orbiter which disintegrated due to huge amounts of overwhelming aerodynamic forces.

The tenth mission for Challenger, STS-51-L was scheduled to deploy the second in a series of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, carry out the first flight of the Shuttle-Pointed Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN-203)/Halley's Comet Experiment Deployable in order to observe Halley's Comet, and carry out several lessons from space as part of the Teacher in Space Project and Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP). The flight also marked the first American manned mission to involve in-flight fatalities, and the first American manned mission to launch and fail to reach space, the first in the world being Soyuz 18a.

Mission Commander Francis R. "Dick" Scobee
Shuttle Pilot Pichael J. Smith
Mission Specialist Ron McNair
Mission Specialist Ellison Onizuka
Mission Specialist Judy Resnik
Payload Specialist Gregory Jarvis
Teacher in Space Spaceflight Participant Christa McAuliffe.

Category:

Science & Technology

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• shuttle
• Challenger
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[musclecarluvr1]

✞They did not die in vain. In honor of this mission, was the creation of The Challenger Learning Centers. I can't even imagine how proud Mrs. Mcauliffe would be, considering her pasion for teaching children. R.I.P. Heroes.

[TIMPANIMAN1]

@RobertsDigital the entire crew cabin fell and hit the water intact. The debris broke up and fell into an oval on the sea floor. The astronauts bodies had been in the water more than a month by then, but all the bodies and parts were recovered in the cabin wreckage, except for that of Greg Jarvis, who had been on the mid-deck, and took a few extra days to recover.

[mooster3000]

may we not forget these explorers, we know now why zero temps on launch etc etc they died so many more will live now. god bless them all

[tactheemt]

@nervousordo A lot of people are quick to say this, but when Earth is threatened, they expect NASA to show up and fill in details, from tracking objects headed for earth, or providing precise details when a hurricane or other weather disaster is approaching, they do contribute necessary information. We could do away with NASA and never know if something is headed towards us, not have things that run off satellites like GPS. There is plenty of tax money going wasted, but not to NASA

[jack1515101]

exploshoin dad ass

[nervousordo]

What a total waste of money. Shut NASA down and quit wasting our tax payer dollars. How about spending money on feeding the poor.

[plotchickens]

dead dead dead

[Thopter]

Uncle Ron!!!

[1Heretic]

@saultube44 You obviously have severe brain damage so its no point to argue with you any more because you are unable to get my point, live in your bubble and enjoy your ignorance until it lasts, i hope you never wake up from your sleep, i m sure is the worst that can happen to you

[saultube44]

@1Heretic I know all that that's why I participate in WorldCommunityGrid[.]Org "genius", and they do it for science to explore and give the information free over the Internet, NASA is part of the International Space Station, so is not just USA interests, pessimistic blind dumbass.

[1Heretic]

@saultube44 Please explain to me how Nasa helps humanity for a better life?!! its an american enterprise and all that it cares is american interests, the same goes with russians etc, i should better remind you that the majority of people around the planet are poor, do not have access to water and food, but american companies have factories all around the world and have kids working all day for nothing, and of course never forget the troops in Iraq and around the world, i despise your ignorance!!