Challenger Shuttle Explodes, Killing 7 Crew

On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, killing all seven crew members aboard and marking the first fatal accident in NASA's shuttle program.

The disaster unfolded live on television before millions of viewers, including schoolchildren across the United States who had tuned in to watch the launch. Challenger, on its 10th mission designated STS-51L, rose into the sky at 11:39 a.m. amid cheers from spectators at the site. But shortly after clearing the tower, a fireball engulfed the vehicle over the Atlantic Ocean, scattering debris into the sea. Controllers in mission control initially reported a major malfunction, and recovery teams were dispatched as the extent of the tragedy became clear.

The crew included mission commander Francis R. "Dick" Scobee, 46; pilot Michael J. Smith, 40; mission specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, 39; Judith A. Resnik, 36; and Ronald E. McNair, 35; payload specialist Gregory B. Jarvis, 41; and Sharon Christa McAuliffe, 37, a high school teacher from New Hampshire selected from more than 11,000 applicants to become the first civilian educator in space. McAuliffe was set to...