The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster | From Our Archives

On this day in 1986, seven astronauts died instantly after the space shuttle Challenger exploded into a huge fireball during its launch.

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[natalienicolebeck]

The saddest thing is scientists knew that the challenger wasn’t functioning very well before anyone even got on the craft but they didn’t want to break the news to everyone so they risked it knowing people have a chance of passing.

[Kreadus]

And the lesson is, don't just try to rush a go-go-go project to completion over the protest of engineers warning of "catastrophic loss of life". Don't be a "yes-man". If you want to honor the lost lives, learn a lesson. Have some professional ethics.

[mtgomage]

This is a memorable day in my life and I happen to be visiting a meteorological centre at the same time... we were all fixed to the television in awe.... I was in high school back then.... it was a big set back for NASA... and the loss of 7 dedicated astronauts. They kept playing it again and again.... The only time I remember being so dramatized by something like this was in September 2011.

[olivergrumitt]

I don’t know how Jesse Moore could say there was absolutely no pressure on NASA management to launch - it is absolutely obvious that there was huge pressure to launch with managers gambling with the lives of the Challenger crew members by knowingly taking a risk against the advice of engineers whose job was to ensure the shuttle was as as safe to fly as possible. Unfortunately when you gamble obviously you sometimes or often lose - and NASA emphatically lost this launch gamble - and the cost was not just the loss of 7 lives but a hugely expensive vehicle
as well. The launch of Christa Macauliffe was meant to be the start of a new era in space flight, an era when almost anyone who wanted to go into space could go. But this era lasted only 73 seconds, and it is highly unlikely that such an era can ever return.

[angelaphillipson]

The smile on the teachers face she looked so excited it's anyone's dream to go to space she got hers and then it was not to be her poor mams face nasa know there to blame

[BigDaddy-rmir]

History has proven this guy was lying thru his was pushed aside to avoid

[RickyReynolds]

One of the 7 astronauts went to Lowndes High School, at the time the space craft was launched my mom was in that school, when the space craft blew up, the whole school was informed and almost the whole school started crying because one of the 7 astronauts went to that school.😭🙏✝️

[David-yhpo]

It was sad that they found a hand in that lady's Pocket book. This was so sad for everyone.

[LivingOver]

Watch the footage from the control room.

[youarerightboss]

Thanks, NASA management, for murdering the Challenger 7.

[theiphonegamer]

My dad was watching this as a kid live

[Kreadus]

Where is the footage of Roger Boisjoly and the subsequent AAAS Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility?

[aquaman]

Nowadays, if we see a spaceship explode, people would just laugh now

[Saidakine]

Flight director did not get info on the O Rings. It never made it up to the decision makers. What a tragedy. And to find out that they did not want to take the time and expense to re design them.

[oliebro]

I found the video by searching NASA stand for need another seven astronauts.

[swisschoklate]

MURDER ‼️ AND STILL YOU HAD TO GO TO THE RUSSIANS‼️

[aquaman]

Wow im sure glad there were no tears from the family members, by now i thought there wouod be tears and members falling to there knees.
This is why you see these actors in no movies whatsoever

[jfflb]

Thoroughly reviewed except for the O rings

[justkicks]

All this major disaster & sad loss of are beloved astronauts that we miss every signal day ( GODS SPEED ) Rip 🙏 & blessing's & condolences much 💕 I was in the classroom 5grade such a nightmare🤤😢. All over a poor designed O ring's

[Mickt]

this guy at 2, 24 was lying his head off big time