Space Shuttle Challenger

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Space Shuttle Challenger

Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA
NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, responsible for the nation's public list of space agencies....
Orbiter Vehicle Designation
Orbiter Vehicle Designation

Each NASA space shuttle designation is composed of a prefix and suffix separated by a dash. The prefix for operational shuttles is OV, for Orbiter Vehicle....
: OV-099) was NASA's second Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle

NASA's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System , is the spacecraft currently used by the United States government for its human spaceflight missions....
orbiter to be put into service, Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia

Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. Its first mission, STS-1, lasted from April 12 to April 14, 1981....
being the first. Its maiden flight was on April 4, 1983, and it completed nine missions before breaking apart 73 seconds after the launch of its tenth mission, STS-51-L
STS-51-L

STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time a civilian had flown aboard the Space Shuttle....
on January 28, 1986, resulting in the death of all seven crew members. (For more on the Challenger disaster, see Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight leading to the deaths of its seven crew members....
.) The accident led to a two-and-a-half year grounding of the shuttle fleet, with missions resuming in 1988 with the launch of on STS-26
STS-26

STS-26 was the 26th Space Shuttle mission and the seventh flight for Space Shuttle Discovery, launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It was the "Return to Flight" mission, being the first mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster....
.

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Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA
NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, responsible for the nation's public list of space agencies....
Orbiter Vehicle Designation
Orbiter Vehicle Designation

Each NASA space shuttle designation is composed of a prefix and suffix separated by a dash. The prefix for operational shuttles is OV, for Orbiter Vehicle....
: OV-099) was NASA's second Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle

NASA's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System , is the spacecraft currently used by the United States government for its human spaceflight missions....
orbiter to be put into service, Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia

Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. Its first mission, STS-1, lasted from April 12 to April 14, 1981....
being the first. Its maiden flight was on April 4, 1983, and it completed nine missions before breaking apart 73 seconds after the launch of its tenth mission, STS-51-L
STS-51-L

STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time a civilian had flown aboard the Space Shuttle....
on January 28, 1986, resulting in the death of all seven crew members. (For more on the Challenger disaster, see Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight leading to the deaths of its seven crew members....
.) The accident led to a two-and-a-half year grounding of the shuttle fleet, with missions resuming in 1988 with the launch of on STS-26
STS-26

STS-26 was the 26th Space Shuttle mission and the seventh flight for Space Shuttle Discovery, launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It was the "Return to Flight" mission, being the first mission after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster....
. Challenger herself was replaced by the , which first launched in 1992.

History
Challenger was named after HMS Challenger
HMS Challenger (1858)

The fifth HMS Challenger was a steam-assisted Royal Navy corvette. In 1862 she took part in operations against Mexico, including the occupation of Veracruz, Veracruz, and in 1866 a punitive operation against some Fijian natives to avenge the murder of a missionary and some of his dependents....
, a British corvette
Corvette

A corvette is a small, manoeuverable, lightly armed warship, originally smaller than a frigate and larger than a offshore patrol vessel, although many recent designs resemble frigates in size and role....
which carried out a pioneering global marine research expedition
Challenger expedition

The Challenger Expedition of 1872-76 was a scientific expedition that made many discoveries to lay the foundation of oceanography.Prompted by the Scotland, Charles Wyville Thomson—of the University of Edinburgh and Merchiston Castle School—the Royal Society of London obtained the use of a ship, HMS Challenger , from the Roy...
in the 1870s.

Construction

The shuttle was constructed by using a body frame (STA-099) that had initially been built as a test article. STA-099 was not originally intended for spaceflight, but NASA found that recycling it would be less expensive than refitting the prototype orbiter Enterprise
Space Shuttle Enterprise

The Space Shuttle Enterprise was the first space shuttle built for NASA. It was constructed without engines or a functional heat shield, and was therefore not capable of space operations; its purpose was to perform test flights in the atmosphere....
(OV-101) to be spaceworthy, as originally planned.

Challenger (and the orbiters built after it) had fewer tiles in its Thermal Protection System
Space shuttle thermal protection system

The Space Shuttle thermal protection system is the barrier that protects the Space Shuttle Orbiter during the searing 1650 Celsius heat of atmospheric reentry....
than Columbia
Space Shuttle Columbia

Space Shuttle Columbia was the first spaceworthy space shuttle in NASA's orbital fleet. Its first mission, STS-1, lasted from April 12 to April 14, 1981....
. Most of the tiles on the payload bay doors, upper wing surface and rear fuselage surface were replaced with DuPont
DuPont

E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company is an United States chemical industry that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuth?re Ir?n?e du Pont....
white nomex
Nomex

Nomex is a registered trademark for flame resistant meta-aramid material developed in the early 1960s by DuPont and first marketed in 1967.It can be considered an aromaticity nylon, the meta- variant of the para--aramid Kevlar....
felt insulation. This modification allowed Challenger to carry 2,500 lb (1,100 kg) more payload than Columbia. Challenger was also the first orbiter to have a head-up display
Head-Up Display

A head-up display, or HUD, is any transparent display that presents data without requiring the user to look away from his or her usual viewpoint....
system for use in the descent
Space Shuttle

NASA's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System , is the spacecraft currently used by the United States government for its human spaceflight missions....
phase of a mission.

Flights and modifications
After its first flight, Challenger quickly became the workhorse of NASA
NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, responsible for the nation's public list of space agencies....
's Space Shuttle
Space Shuttle

NASA's Space Shuttle, officially called the Space Transportation System , is the spacecraft currently used by the United States government for its human spaceflight missions....
fleet, flying far more missions per year than Columbia. In 1983 and 1984, Challenger flew on 85% of all Space Shuttle missions
List of space shuttle missions

This is a list of missions flown by space shuttles. As of 2009, only the United States has flown human spaceflight Space Shuttle missions in the Space Shuttle program, while the Soviet Union flew one unmanned flight of the Buran ....
. Even when the orbiters Discovery
Space Shuttle Discovery

Space Shuttle Discovery is one of the three currently operational Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA, the space agency of the United States....
and Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis

Space Shuttle Atlantis is one of the three currently operational Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet of NASA, the space agency of the United States....
joined the fleet, Challenger remained in heavy use with three missions a year from 1983-85. Challenger, along with Discovery, was modified at Kennedy Space Center to be able to carry the Centaur-G upper-stage in its payload bay. Had STS-51-L
STS-51-L

STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time a civilian had flown aboard the Space Shuttle....
been successful, Challengers next mission would have been the deployment of the Ulysses probe with the Centaur to study the polar regions of the Sun.

Challengers many spaceflight accomplishments included the first American woman, African-American, and Canadian in space, three Spacelab
Spacelab

Spacelab was a reusable laboratory flown into space on the Space Shuttle. It allowed scientists to perform experiments in microgravity in Earth orbit....
missions, and the first night launch and landing of a Space Shuttle. Challenger was also the first space shuttle to be destroyed in an accident during a mission. The collected debris of the vessel are currently stored in decommissioned missile silo
Missile silo

A missile silo is an underground, vertical cylindrical container for the storage and launching of intercontinental ballistic missiles . They typically have the missile some distance under the surface, protected by a large "blast shelter" on top....
s at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

The Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is a detachment of the 45th Space Wing , at nearby Patrick Air Force Base; located on Cape Canaveral in the State of Florida, CCAFS is the primary Launch Head of the Eastern Range....
. From time to time, further pieces of debris from the orbiter wash up on the Florida
Florida

Florida is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast....
coast. When this happens, they are collected and transported to the silos for storage. Because of her early loss, Challenger was the only space shuttle that never wore the NASA "meatball" logo
NASA logo

The NASA logo has three official designs, although one of them has been retired from official use since 1992. The three logos include the NASA insignia , the NASA logo , and the NASA seal....
.

Challengers rollout from Orbiter Processing
Facility (OPF) to the Vehicle Assembly Building
Vehicle Assembly Building

The Vehicle Assembly Building, or VAB, is located at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It is the fourth List of largest buildings in the world in the world by volume....
(VAB). Photo 1983-8-25 courtesy of NASA. Challenger while in service as structural test article STA-099.

# Date Designation Launch pad Landing location Notes Length of journey
1 April 4 1983 STS-6
STS-6

STS-6 was a Space Shuttle mission conducted by NASA using Space Shuttle Challenger . Launched April 4, 1983, STS-6 was the sixth space shuttle mission and the first of the ten missions flown on Challenger....
LC-39A
Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39

Launch Complex 39 is a rocket launch site at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida in Florida, USA. The site and its collection of facilities were originally built for the Project Apollo program, and later modified to support Space Shuttle program operations....
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, California and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley....
Deployed TDRS-A.
First spacewalk during a space shuttle mission. 5 days, 00 hours, 23 minutes, 42 seconds
2 June 18 1983 STS-7
STS-7

STS-7 was a space shuttle mission by NASA using the Space Shuttle Challenger, launched June 18, 1983. This was the seventh space shuttle mission, and was the second mission for the Space Shuttle Challenger....
LC-39A Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, California and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley....
Sally Ride
Sally Ride

Sally Kristen Ride is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut who, in 1983, became the first American woman and youngest American to enter Low Earth orbit....
becomes first American woman in space.
Deployed two communications satellites. 6 days, 02 hours, 23 minutes, 59 seconds
3 August 30 1983 STS-8
STS-8

STS-8 was the third flight of the Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Challenger, and the eighth shuttle flight. It conducted the first night launch and night landing....
LC-39A Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, California and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley....
Guion Bluford
Guion Bluford

Guion ?Guy? Bluford, Jr. is a retired Colonel, from the United States Air Force and a former NASA Astronaut. He participated in four flights of Space Shuttle between 1983 and 1992....
becomes first African-American in space
First shuttle night launch and night landing.
Deployed Insat-1B.
Carried 260,000 envelopes stamped to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of NASA
NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an agency of the Federal government of the United States, responsible for the nation's public list of space agencies....
.
6 days, 01 hours, 08 minutes, 43 seconds
4 February 3 1984 STS-41-B
STS-41-B

STS-41-B was the tenth Space Shuttle mission, and the fourth flight for Space Shuttle Challenger. Following STS-9, the flight numbering system for Space Shuttle missions was changed....
LC-39A Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center

The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA space vehicle launch facility and Launch Control Center on Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard County, Florida, United States....
First untethered spacewalk.
Deployed two communications satellites, unsuccessfully. 7 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes, 55 seconds
5 April 6 1984 STS-41-C
STS-41-C

STS-41-C was the 11th Space Shuttle mission and the fifth for Space Shuttle Challenger. The launch was the first direct ascent trajectory for a Shuttle mission....
LC-39A Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, California and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley....
Solar Maximum Mission
Solar Maximum Mission

The Solar Maximum Mission satellite was designed to investigate solar phenomenon, particularly solar flares. It was launched on February 14, 1980....
service mission. 6 days, 23 hours, 40 minutes, 07 seconds
6 October 5 1984 STS-41-G
STS-41-G

STS 41-G marked the 13th flight of a Space Shuttle and the sixth flight of Space Shuttle Challenger. It conducted the second landing at Kennedy Space Center....
LC-39A Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center

The John F. Kennedy Space Center is the NASA space vehicle launch facility and Launch Control Center on Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard County, Florida, United States....
First mission to carry two women.
Marc Garneau
Marc Garneau

Captain Joseph Jean-Pierre Marc Garneau, Order of Canada, Canadian Forces Decoration, Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute is a Canadian astronaut, engineer and politician....
become first Canadian in space.
Kathryn D. Sullivan
Kathryn D. Sullivan

Kathryn Dwyer Sullivan is an United States geologist and a former NASA astronaut. A crew member on three Space Shuttle missions, she is first American woman to walk in space....
became the first American woman to make a spacewalk.
Deployed Earth Radiation Budget Satellite. 8 days, 05 hours, 23 minutes, 33 seconds
7 April 29 1985 STS-51-B
STS-51-B

STS 51-B was the seventeenth flight of a Space Shuttle and the seventh flight of Space Shuttle Challenger....
LC-39A Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, California and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley....
Carried Spacelab
Spacelab

Spacelab was a reusable laboratory flown into space on the Space Shuttle. It allowed scientists to perform experiments in microgravity in Earth orbit....
-3 7 days, 00 hours, 08 minutes, 46 seconds
8 July 29 1985 STS-51-F
STS-51-F

STS-51-F was the eighth flight of Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Challenger, and the nineteenth shuttle flight.The payload with most publicity was the Carbonated Beverage Dispenser Evaluation, which was an experiment where both Coca-Cola and Pepsi tried to make their drinks available to astronauts....
LC-39A Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, California and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley....
Carried Spacelab
Spacelab

Spacelab was a reusable laboratory flown into space on the Space Shuttle. It allowed scientists to perform experiments in microgravity in Earth orbit....
-2 7 days, 22 hours, 45 minutes, 26 seconds
9 October 30 1985 STS-61-A
STS-61-A

STS-61-A was the 22nd Space Shuttle mission. It was a scientific Spacelab mission booked by Germany - hence the payload name D-1 . It was also the last successful mission of the Space Shuttle Challenger....
LC-39A Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards Air Force Base

Edwards Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located on the border of Kern County, California and Los Angeles County, California in the Antelope Valley....
Carried German Spacelab
Spacelab

Spacelab was a reusable laboratory flown into space on the Space Shuttle. It allowed scientists to perform experiments in microgravity in Earth orbit....
D-1 7 days, 00 hours, 44 minutes, 51 seconds
10 January 28 1986 STS-51-L
STS-51-L

STS-51-L was the twenty-fifth flight of the American Space Shuttle program, which marked the first time a civilian had flown aboard the Space Shuttle....
LC-39B
Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39

Launch Complex 39 is a rocket launch site at the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida in Florida, USA. The site and its collection of facilities were originally built for the Project Apollo program, and later modified to support Space Shuttle program operations....
Did not land (Planned to land at Kennedy Space Center) Shuttle disintegrated after launch, killing all seven astronauts on board. Was to have deployed TDRS-B. 0 days, 00 hours, 01 minutes, 13 seconds

Loss of Challenger

Challenger was destroyed in the second minute of STS-51-L, the orbiter's tenth mission, on January 28, 1986 at 11:38:00 a.m. EST , when an O-ring
O-ring

An O-ring, also known as a packing, or a toric joint, is a mechanical gasket in the shape of a torus; it is a loop of elastomer with a Disk -shaped Cross section , designed to be seated in a groove and compressed during assembly between two or more parts, creating a Seal at the interface....
seal on its right solid rocket booster
Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster

The Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters are the pair of large solid rocket booster used by the Space Shuttle during the first two minutes of powered flight....
(SRB) failed. The O-rings failed to seal due to a variety of factors, including unusually cold temperatures. This failure allowed a plume of flame to leak out of the SRB and impinge on both the external fuel tank
Space Shuttle external tank

A Space Shuttle External Tank is the component of the Space Shuttle launch vehicle that contains the liquid hydrogen fuel and liquid oxygen oxidizer....
(ET) and SRB aft attachment strut. This caused both structural failure of the ET and the SRB pivoting into the orbiter and ET. The orbiter's attitude rotated out of the normal flight profile and the vehicle assembly then broke apart under aerodynamic loads.

See also

List of human spaceflights
List of human spaceflights

These chronological lists include all crewed spaceflights that reached an altitude of at least 100 km , or were launched with that intention but failed....
List of Space Shuttle crews
List of space shuttle missions
List of space shuttle missions

This is a list of missions flown by space shuttles. As of 2009, only the United States has flown human spaceflight Space Shuttle missions in the Space Shuttle program, while the Soviet Union flew one unmanned flight of the Buran ....
Timeline of Space Shuttle missions
Timeline of Space Shuttle missions

Timeline of space shuttle missionsPost-Columbia timeline Complete timeline See also...
List of human spaceflights chronologically
Challenger flag
Challenger flag

The Challenger flag is an Flag of the United States that was in the flight kit of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. It was sponsored by Boy Scouts of America of Monument, Colorado, Colorado....
Rendez-vous Houston
Rendez-vous Houston

Rendez-vous Houston was a concert performed by musician Jean Michel Jarre on the skyscrapers of Downtown Houston Houston, Texas on the evening of April 5, 1986....
Morton Thiokol
Roger Boisjoly
Roger Boisjoly

Roger Boisjoly is an engineer who worked for Morton Thiokol, the manufacturer of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters of the Space Shuttle Challenger....

External links

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