![]() But Mission Control quickly announced that there had been some sort of problem, and the crowd became confused and then panicky as the space shuttle, fuel tank and rocket boosters all broke apart and flew in opposite directions. When the spectators saw the explosion, many of them started cheering, unaware of what was really happening. ![]() That gas spread to the other rocket booster and the external fuel tank, causing an explosion. Mission Control's transmissions to the Challenger were being blared over loudspeakers to give spectators a play-by-play of the shuttle's ascent.Īscent seemed to be going normally during the first minute, but about 75 seconds into the ascent, a plastic O-ring used to seal a joint in one of the solid rocket boosters failed, causing a breach of hot gas. ![]() Several news networks were carrying live broadcasts of the launch, including live shots of McAuliffe's parents as they watched the Challenger liftoff. That morning, many spectators came to the Kennedy Space Center to watch the launch. The winner of the competition was Christa McAuliffe, a high school teacher in Concord, New Hampshire, who wrote a winning essay and had to undergo a year of astronaut training before that fateful day. But the highlight of the mission was to be the "NASA Teacher in Space Project," in which a civilian teacher would give teaching lessons to his or her class while onboard the space shuttle. The crew included Ronald McNair, who had already been the second African-American in space, and Ellison Onizuka, who had already been the first Asian-American astronaut in space. On this mission, the Challenger was carrying a satellite for the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites system, which was to be deployed in orbit. Space shuttles had already successfully completed 24 missions, and no American spacecraft had ever failed to reach orbit during an official mission. On the morning of January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger launched for the 10th time, beginning mission STS-51-L. Challenger was also the first space shuttle to complete a landing at night. The Space Shuttle Challenger was the most heavily used space shuttle in the three years it was operational, carrying the first minority astronaut and woman astronaut into space. Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.In the decades after the Apollo program, American space shuttles flew over 130 missions and successfully completed over 98 percent of them, but unfortunately, the two most famous missions were the ones that ended tragically aboard the Challenger and Columbia. I've topped the windswept heights with easy graceĪnd, while with silent lifting mind I've trod My eager craft through footless halls of air. I've chased the shouting wind along, and flunt You have not dreamed of – wheeled and soared and swung Of sun split clouds, - and done a hundred things Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earthĪnd danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings ![]() The back of the marker features the famous aeronautical poem "High Flight," written by Royal Canadian Air Force pilot John Gillespie Magee, Jr. Christa McAuliffe, payload specialist Gregory B. McNair, mission specialist Ellison Onizuka, mission specialist S. The astronauts' faces and names are carved into the memorial marker: Commander Michael J. Approximately 400 people attended the dedication ceremony on the morning of March 21, 1987, including Vice President and Mrs. Smith (Section 7A, Grave 208).įamily members and NASA worked together to erect the memorial in Section 46, near Memorial Amphitheater. "Dick" Scobee (Section 46, to the left of the memorial) and Commander Michael J. On May 20, 1986, the comingled cremated remains of the seven Challenger astronauts were buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Section 46, Grave 1129. It took nearly two months to recover the remains from the ocean floor, about 18 miles off the shore of Cape Canaveral, Florida. On January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after takeoff, killing all seven crew members - including high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, who had been selected from among more than 11,000 applicants to become the first teacher in space.
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