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Space Shuttle Information
NASA Space Shuttles
- Space Shuttle Missions
- Space Shuttle Atlantis
- Space Shuttle Discovery
- Space Shuttle Columbia
- Space Shuttle Challenger Crash
- STS 121
Space Shuttle Challenger Crash
The Challenger had a tragic explosion that killed all of its passengers only a little over a minute after its launch on January 28, 1986. It is famous for having the first educator to go into space, Sharon Christa McAuliffe but because the Challenger exploded during launch, she was not able to be the first one. She is remembered by her hometown of Concord, where they have placed memorials in her honor.
Crash of the Challenger
Most people know that the Challenger broke up on national TV directly following its launch but some people do not know why. The reason that it broke up was because of an O-ring that became too cool, got brittle, and then didn't perform correctly. This allowed flames to weaken the external fuel tank and caused the shuttle to break down.
History of the Challenger There is more to the Challenger than just its tragedy. The history is also fairly interesting and good to note. There were nine previous flights, all of which were successful. One of which was the mission that carried Sally Ride, the first American female in space, and the first mission to carry two women, and the mission that carried the first African American in space. It also was used during the mission where the first woman spacewalked and the first Canadian in space. And these are not the only achievements that the Challenger had while it was commissioned. It also carried three space labs into space, making it an important chapter of the space shuttle program.
The crash of the Challenger was a tragedy, to be sure. It will long be remembered as an event that rocked a nation. Millions watched as the space shuttle launched, to the cheers and hand clapping of people around the nation watching from their television sets. Then the nation fell silent in awe as they watched it perish right in front of their eyes. It was so moving that it has a similar hold in the minds of witnesses as the Kennedy assasination. Nearly everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when they saw the Challenger disaster. And through the books and articles, later generations will remember that tragic day.
Crash of the Challenger
Most people know that the Challenger broke up on national TV directly following its launch but some people do not know why. The reason that it broke up was because of an O-ring that became too cool, got brittle, and then didn't perform correctly. This allowed flames to weaken the external fuel tank and caused the shuttle to break down.
History of the Challenger There is more to the Challenger than just its tragedy. The history is also fairly interesting and good to note. There were nine previous flights, all of which were successful. One of which was the mission that carried Sally Ride, the first American female in space, and the first mission to carry two women, and the mission that carried the first African American in space. It also was used during the mission where the first woman spacewalked and the first Canadian in space. And these are not the only achievements that the Challenger had while it was commissioned. It also carried three space labs into space, making it an important chapter of the space shuttle program.
The crash of the Challenger was a tragedy, to be sure. It will long be remembered as an event that rocked a nation. Millions watched as the space shuttle launched, to the cheers and hand clapping of people around the nation watching from their television sets. Then the nation fell silent in awe as they watched it perish right in front of their eyes. It was so moving that it has a similar hold in the minds of witnesses as the Kennedy assasination. Nearly everyone remembers where they were and what they were doing when they saw the Challenger disaster. And through the books and articles, later generations will remember that tragic day.