CAPE CANAVERAL — 1986 · Major Tragedy

The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

On the morning of 28 January 1986, the space shuttle Challenger, launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, broke apart 73 seconds after lift-off at an altitude of about 14 kilometres over the Atlantic, killing all seven crew members. Because the crew included teacher Christa McAuliffe, chosen under the Teacher in Space project, the launch was being watched live in schools across the country. The Rogers Commission set up by President Reagan found the cause to be the failure of O-ring seals in a solid rocket booster, stiffened by record low temperatures. Finding that the flaw had been known for years and that engineers' warnings against a cold-weather launch had been overridden by managers, the commission sharply criticised NASA's decision-making culture. The shuttle programme was grounded for about 32 months.

Date

1986

Place

Kennedy Space Center, Florida, USA, Cape Canaveral, US

Category

Major Tragedy

Case Status

Closed

Coordinates

28.6272, -80.6208 ↗

🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.