Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

The January 28, 1986 destruction of Space Shuttle Challenger shortly after launch, caused by failure of a solid rocket booster joint and killing all seven crew members.

Space Shuttle solid rocket booster: A reusable rocket motor that supplied thrust to the Space Shuttle during launch. A failed joint in the right booster allowed hot gas to escape during Challenger's ascent.
Morton Thiokol: The aerospace contractor that designed and manufactured the Space Shuttle solid rocket boosters. Its engineers warned NASA that low temperatures threatened the booster joint seals.
Francis R. Scobee: An American astronaut and commander of Space Shuttle mission STS-51-L. He commanded Challenger's final mission.
Rogers Commission: The presidential commission that investigated the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. Its report established the technical cause and criticized NASA's decision-making culture.
Space Shuttle Teacher in Space Project: A NASA program intended to send a teacher into space and share the experience with students. Christa McAuliffe's participation made the mission a highly visible educational event.
O-ring: A ring-shaped elastomer seal used to prevent fluid or gas from passing through a joint. Cold-stiffened O-rings failed to seal the booster joint as designed.
Roger Boisjoly: An engineer at Morton Thiokol who documented concerns about solid rocket booster O-ring performance. He became a prominent internal voice warning against launch in unusually cold conditions.
Christa McAuliffe: An American teacher selected to fly as a civilian participant in NASA's Teacher in Space Project. Her planned lessons from orbit brought unusual public attention to the mission.
Space Shuttle Return to Flight: NASA's resumption of Space Shuttle missions after the Challenger disaster and subsequent redesigns. The shuttle fleet remained grounded until safety changes were implemented.
Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial: Memorials honoring the seven astronauts killed in the Challenger disaster. These commemorations preserve the crew's names and the loss's public significance.

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