Overview
- The orbiter broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff on January 28, 1986, killing seven crew members including teacher Christa McAuliffe, who was selected from more than 11,000 applicants.
- The Rogers Commission found that a failed O‑ring on a solid rocket booster allowed hot gases to escape after an unusually cold night at Kennedy Space Center.
- Engineers had raised concerns about launching in such cold conditions, yet schedule pressure factored into the decision to proceed.
- Commission member Richard Feynman publicly demonstrated the O‑ring’s loss of resilience in cold and highlighted a stark gap between management and engineering risk estimates.
- Shuttle flights were halted for 32 months for redesigns and process changes, and NASA now holds annual remembrances, while later accounts about the crew’s final moments remain unconfirmed by official investigations.