The Challenger Explosion Rocks America

The launch of a Space Shuttle was thought to be routine until this disaster struck.

January 28, 1986

The space shuttle Challenger explodes 73 seconds after lift-off, killing the crew of seven, including New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. The tragedy saw McAuliffe and Judith A. Resnik become the first U.S. women astronauts to die on a space mission.

NASA leadership had known since 1977 that the design of their rocket boosters …