January 28 1986

[Boomerang]

January 28, 1986, 11:38 am est the 25th space shuttle mission launched into the late morning sky. The orbiter OV-99 better known as Challenger was making its 10th flight. At first everything appears normal but noone realises a camera near the launch sight has caught a puff of black smoke pouring from the aft field joint of the right SRB. Almost as quickly as the leak began it sealed itself. However noone on the ground knew that leak would be the beginning of a catastrophic failure. As Challenger continued upward into the sky she encountered severe wind shears the most severe of any flight to date. The debris that had sealed the link was eventually shaken loose and the leak began anew. As Challenger approached max Q the main engines were throttled back but at the same time a series of events were beginning that would end in total break up of the vehicle. The leak in the Oring sealing the joint was creating a blow torch effect now hot gasses were beginning to breach the external fuel tank. At the point where the engines began to throttle up the hydrogen tank ruptured causing the aft dome of the et to fall away driving the hydrogen tank upward into the oxygen tank at the same time as the right SRB impated the upper tank. All that was seen from the ground was a fireball and the two SRB;s emerging from the cloud along with debris. All telemetry was ended at 73 seconds after launch. Challenger was torn apart by aerodynamics and the intact crew cabin began a 2 minute fall to the atlantic ocean below. The crew still inside alive and most likely some of them concious until they died instantly on impact with the Atlantic ocean at over 200 MPH.

An investigation determined the unussualy cold weather lead to failure of the o-ring seal in the aft field joint causing the leak which lead to the disaster. All 7 crew and vehicle were lost. The shuttle program grounded for almost 3 years until fall of 1988 when Discovery returned to space.

The crew of STS-51L consisted of 7 people 5 men and 2 women.

Commander Francis R. "Dick" Scobey, vetran of STS-41D making his second shuttle flight and his first as commander.

Pilot Michael Smith A Rookie making his first shuttle flight and was already assigned to upcoming mission STS-61I scheduled for later in 1986.

Judith Resnik Mission Specialist Vetran of STS-41D

Ronald Mcnair Mission Specialist Vetran STS-41B

Ellison Onizuka Mission Specialist Vetran STS-41G

Greg Jarvis Payload Specialist Rookie

Christa Mcaulife Payload Specialist Teacher in Space Rookie

The mission had 2 primary payloads. One was the TDRS-B Sattelite and the other was a payload to study Haley's Comet. As part of the flight Mcaullife would also teach 2 lessons from space. She was supose to be the first regular citizen to fly in space. NASA also had planed to launch a reporter in 1986 or 87 and the application process had begun just before the accident this program was cancelled after the accident.

Challenger is one part of my child hood that will always stand out in my mind. I was 6 years old whem the accident occured already a fan of the space program the accident hit me hard. And every year i always try to take time and remember the events of that day as to never forget.

[JennieM]

I was a freshman in high school when it happened. I remember sitting there in class and thinking it must be a mistake because to that point, the shuttle was "safe." Nothing bad had ever happened to it before. Not to mention, they wouldn't put a teacher on board if it wasn't safe. Unfortunately, how wrong I was.