What really happened to the Challenger? Was it a preplanned disaster? | Dark History

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Hi friends, happy Thursday!

The Challenger disaster is considered one of the worst tragedies in American history. It’s seared into our minds. But do we have any idea what went wrong? Like… why did it happen and who is responsible? So friends… I dug deep and found some answers. And lemme tell ya… I got some questions for NASA.

I appreciate you for coming by, and tune in next week for more Dark History.

Want some cool Bailey Merch?

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You can find the Dark History podcast on Apple, Spotify, wherever you listen to your podcasts, and every Thursday here on my YouTube for the visual side of things.

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FOLLOW ME AROUND

Business Related Mail:
Bailey Sarian
4400 W. Riverside Dr., Ste 110-300
Burbank, CA 91505

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CHAPTERS:

00:00 - INTRO
06:45 - NASA PUSHES THE ENVELOPE
10:52 - THE TEACHER IN SPACE PROJECT
16:48 - THE LAUNCH
20:45 - BAD GUYS & RED FLAGS
27:11 - O-RING PROBLEMS
34:57 - POINTLESS SAFETY CHECKS & "MEMORIALS"
36:37 - CONCLUSION
38:01 - NEXT WEEK ON DARK HISTORY: MCCARTHYISM & THE LAVENDER SCARE

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This podcast is Executive Produced by:
Bailey Sarian, Dunia McNeily from 3arts, Kevin Grosch, and Matt Enlow From Made In Network
Writers: Katie Burris, Xander Elmore, Allyson Philobos, Joey Scavuzzo, and Bailey Sarian
Research provided by: Coleen Smith
Production Lead: Brian Jaggers
Post Supervisor: Kelly Hardin
Production Management: Ross Woodruff
Hair: Prince Angel
Makeup: Roni Herrera
I'm your host -- Bailey Sarian

[jessiedeutschman]

My 4th/5th grade teacher was one of the finalists. She made it all the way through the program and was ready for space. At the last minute, she found out she was pregnant and couldn't go. So essentially, her daughter saved her life. And I'm so grateful because she was the best teacher I ever had. She got me through the last bit of elementary school. She was like a mother to me.

[mplljdw]

My mom is watching this with me and when I look over at her she has tears in her eyes. She explained that her uncle was one of the people that applied for a spot and they watched it go down on live television. End of story, she was crying of relief he wasn’t on it and sorrow for those who were

[Borntu]

NASA started with a man named Jack Parsons. You need to do a dark history about him. The story is pretty wild.

[kitrawoodall]

I was in 5th grade when the Challenger exploded. We watched all the shuttle launches live back then I remember my teacher just not knowing what to say to us as we watched the shuttle fall back to earth in pieces. Christa McCauliff was from my hometown so we were super invested. I won't ever forget that day

[GenXfrom]

Watching Challenger explode as a 10 year old… it was devastating. Learning as an adult they were probably alive during the fall to the ocean was mind blowing and sickening 💔

[tracydodson]

I worked for a contractor assigned to NASA at that time. Everywhere you looked there was a large picture of the Challenger crew draped in black. Black bunting hung from every available surface and it was silent. Very moving the respect and reverence to those lost.
My office was directly across the hall from the investigation committee. Had a front row seat to watch . . . got to shake hands with Sally Ride, a memorable lady very gracious, along with dozens of others who to my 19 year old clueless self were just regular people not the history I was witness to. Wish I could go back and slap me to pay more attention.
As always Ms Bailey you are amazing and wonderful and I love your work 🎉
Thank you for a trip down memory lane

[MamaMudiwa]

Imagine thinking, let me go on YT and watch something light, and clicking on this and kicking up your feet with a cup of coffee. This is my comfort zone.

[daniellewestenmeyer]

Bailey!!! I just want to let you know that I was chaperoning my daughter’s middle school field trip to the Air and Space Museum today. I saw this episode and listened to it on the bus trip down. I was able to give them a little history lesson when we got there. Great timing!!!

[emilysuzann]

Girl please do an episode of Antarctica and all the crazy stuff going on there 🫠🤍

[JenniferandMark]

I remember how shocking this was to my 7 year old self. My 45 year old self is still saddened by this event. Thank you for covering this topic, Bailey. 🤗Jenn

[halroxdynasty]

I can't wait to watch this one. I was born when the Challenger accident happened, January 28, 1986. That morning...When my dad called my grandma she told him what had happened. Everyone was shocked. I grew up hearing about it all the time. They thought that was so wild.

Later in life, I would end up traveling the country and I would meet my husband who is from New Hampshire...Well he told me that the teacher who passed away, Christa McCauliff, was a teacher in New Hampshire and when that happened, everyone in NH was totally sad and mourning. Then one time I was hitchhiking, and I ended up walking right by Christa McCualliff high School in Concord, NH. I thought that was probably one of the most full circle serendipitous moment of my life. Then my daughter ended up being born down the street in Concord hospital. RIP to her and all the crew 💔

[shellyseats]

Chernobyl, that's a dive i am enthralled with. I get fascinated with random things and i go all in until im done with it but i never get enough of Chernobyl. That is the one thing ethched in my mind from childhood.. that would be the most amazing thing ever if Bailey did a dive on that

[wickedkat]

Thank you for covering this story. I was in grade school when this happened. They had us all in the auditorium watching the launch live on TV. When it exploded, we didn't know that the blast wasn't planned until the announcers were upset. We all went home early and traumatized that day.

[litkeyz]

As a man who works long shifts in a warehouse i appreciate your videos they get me through the day even the MMM i listen to even tho i dont resonate with the makeup your storytelling is great, even if i heard the story before i stick around for your perspective, keep em coming 🫶🏽🔥

[holiwood]

I remember I was home sick from school that day. My mother and I just held each other and cried. I'm Canadian, but even the students here were watching. Horrible just Horrible.

[Magpieme]

Bailey, you were spot on when you said that this disaster is a core memory for certain people. I was in high school in 1986 and I live in Florida… Our class went outside along with many others to watch the historic space shuttle flight. It was such a horrific experience for so many of us and affected us terribly. I can’t imagine what the family members of the crew felt. I can still recall it so clearly. 😢

[sarahelliott]

Hey Bailey. You should do an episode on the troubled teen industry. It's absolutely insane and awful and it still happens to this day. So many people go through this horrifying experience and i feel like more people need to be aware of it. Much love ❤️

[Out_GalliVANtin]

My great uncle worked for NASA through IBM, starting out as a mathematician and went on to help design the computers on the space shuttles. I never asked if there was a correlation, but he retired the year after the Challenger disaster.

[saraphinacisneros]

Brings to mind two things! “Money is the root of all evil” and “ absolute power corrupts absolutely”!

[sarahacuff-willey]

Just when I said, "I never catch Bailey Sarian until days after she posts!". Well, here I am and here we are!! Thank you for this one! I watched it live in school and watched my teacher cry. It was a terrible, but memorable moment.