Challenger at 40: How the Disaster Shaped the Future of NASA
We remember NASA's Challenger disaster: What led up to the mission, what went wrong, and its lasting impact.
Listen 37:45
The Space Shuttle Challenger lifted off at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, Jan. 28, 1986 at 11:38 a.m. An accident 73 seconds after launch killed all seven crew members including teacher Christa McAuliffe. (NASA)
On January 28, 1986, a frigid cold day with an icy blue sky, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after launching from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The accident killed all seven crew members aboard and was the first fatal in-flight spacecraft disaster in NASA’s history. For many, the explosion came as an absolute shock. Millions of people were watching live, including school children who were especially eager to catch a glimpse of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire and the first civilian in space.
On this episode, we remember the Challenger tragedy with author Adam Higginbotham who details what went wrong and the aftermath in his book, “Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space.”
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