Space Shuttle Challenger

Space Shuttle Challenger (OV-099) was the second space shuttle used by NASA to fly into outer space. The shuttle broke up 73 seconds after take-off from Cape Canaveral on 28 January 1986. All seven astronauts who were on it at the time were killed. The crash happened because a rubber tube called an o-ring did not expand to fill a gap in one of the booster rockets, due to cold weather.

The Challenger explodes during takeoff in 1986

The Challenger was named after a Royal Navy ship that explored the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from 1872 to 1876. Challenger was also the name of the Apollo 17 Lunar Excursion Module.

Crew

Challenger astronauts

• Francis "Dick" Scobee (46)
• Michael John Smith (40)
• Judith Resnik (36)
• Ellison Onizuka (39)
• Ronald McNair (35)
• Gregory Jarvis (41)
• Christa McAuliffe (37), first teacher in space

Missions

#	Date	Designation	Launch pad	Landing location	Notes
1	04.April.1983	STS-6	39-A	Edwards Air Force Base	First Shuttle Space Walk
2	.18.June.1983	STS-7	39-A	Edwards Air Force Base	First U.S. Woman in Space
3	30. August.1983	STS-8	39-A	Edwards Air Force Base	First Night Launch and Landing
4	03. February.1984	STS-41-B	39-A	Kennedy Space Center	First KSC Landing
5	06.April.1984	STS-41-C	39-A	Edwards Air Force Base	First on-orbit spacecraft repair.
6	05.October.84	STS-41-G	39-A	Kennedy Space Center	Earth Radiation Budget Satellite, Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications-3.
7	29.April.1985	STS-51-B	39-A	Edwards Air Force Base	Spacelab-3
8	29. July.1985	STS-51-F	39-A	Edwards Air Force Base	Spacelab-2
9	30.October.1985	STS-61-A	39-A	Edwards Air Force Base	D-1 Spacelab Mission (First German Dedicated Spacelab)
10	28 January 1986	STS-51-L	39-B	Did not land(Planned to land at Kennedy Space Center)	TDRS-2; SPARTAN-203 Satellites. Shuttle destroyed after liftoff & all seven astronauts on board died.