Challenger Accident - Part I Launch

On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger became NASA's first in-flight accident causing the loss of seven crew members. The accident would be blamed on a faulty o-ring seal that failed to prevent hot rocket motor gases from escaping and eventually leading to the destruction of the external tank and the orbiter and its crew. Many things had to go wrong on that day and they did. Cold temperatures, upper level wind shear, organizational failure and complacency all contributed to the tragic loss of life.

Another accident would follow and while different had in common a human failure to detect and prevent the conditions under which catastrophic events could endanger a crew. The second accident, Columbia, would begin a long goodbye of the Space Shuttle era and raise questions of humankind purpose and next steps in space.

This segment covers the preflight activities from the crew departing the Operations and Checkout Building to boarding the Shuttle in the White Room to launch and the accident.

Watch Parts II & III for an in-depth photo and video analysis of the events from launch through the accident.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Space Shuttle
• Space Shuttle Program
• Space Shuttle Disaster
• Space Shuttle Accident
• Rogers Commission
• Challenger
• Space Shuttle Challenger
• Teacher in Space
• McAullife
• Christa McAuliife
• Reagan
• Space Shuttle Columbia
• Endeavour
• Atlantis
• Discovery
• NASA
• Scobee
• Resnick
• Shuttle
• space program
• space
• moon
• vision for space exploration
• VAB

[smallpoxs2947]

Only happened because one of them left their glove in the astovann, duh.

[Pilotnaut]

its quite messed up to see Ron Mcnair proper checking the door seal out when he's getting ready

[angel101019]

it would have been cool for civilains to be in space

[angel101019]

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[angel101019]

sad and tragic for nasa

[MrBennetzen]

@RadioRegio I doubt it.

[RadioRegio]

@helixspiral just out of curiosity, was there ever any video footage from inside the orbiter during the challenger launch?

[helixspiral]

@RadioRegio The very next flight actually. STS-26 in 1988.

[RadioRegio]

They wore THAT when they launched? What year did they start using the pumpkin suits?

[77SkyBird]

Thank you for sharing this item. RIP Challenger 7...