Location: Ranaghat Posted on: 1/29/2026 6:18:22 PM

• On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff
• All 7 crew members were killed
• The launch was broadcast live on television, watched by millions worldwide
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🧑🚀 The Crew
• The mission included Christa McAuliffe, a schoolteacher selected to inspire students from space
• Challenger carried five NASA astronauts, one payload specialist, and one civilian
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⚙️ Cause of the Disaster
• A rubber O-ring seal in a solid rocket booster failed
• The failure was linked to unusually cold temperatures on launch day
• Hot gases escaped, damaging the external fuel tank
• Engineers had warned NASA about the risk — the launch went ahead anyway
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🔍 Aftermath
• The disaster was ruled preventable
• The Rogers Commission found serious flaws in NASA’s safety culture
• Space Shuttle flights were halted for nearly 3 years
• Major safety and design changes followed...