On this date, Jan. 28, 1986, space shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, killing all seven crew members. Two O-rings in the right solid rocket booster failed on launch due to cold temperatures on the Space Coast. The failure of the o-rings allowed super heated gas to leak from the booster and essentially burned a hole in the external fuel tank, basically making the tank and its liquid fuel contents a bomb.
The STS-51L crew included:
- Dick Scobee: Commander
- Michael Smith: The pilot
- Ellison Onizuka: A mission specialist and the first Asian American and person of Japanese descent to travel to space
- Judith Resnik: A mission specialist
- Ronald McNair: A mission specialist
- Gregory Jarvis: A payload specialist and Hughes Aircraft engineer
- Christa McAuliffe: An educator who would have been the first teacher in space
This story was created by multimedia editor Rob Landers, rlanders@floridatoday.com, with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of information gathering, review, editing and publishing.
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On January 28, 1986, the world watched in horror as the space shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after liftoff. The tragic event took the lives of all seven crew members on board, including teacher Christa McAuliffe.
The cause of the explosion was later determined to be a faulty O-ring seal in one of the solid rocket boosters. This devastating incident not only brought a halt to the space shuttle program but also served as a stark reminder of the risks and dangers of space exploration.
The crew of the Challenger will always be remembered for their bravery and dedication to furthering our understanding of the universe. May they rest in peace.
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