Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

On January 28, 1986, the American Space Shuttle Challenger launched from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida on its 10th mission. It exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, bringing a devastating end to the spacecraft. The disaster claimed the lives of all seven astronauts onboard, including a teacher from New Hampshire who had been selected to join the mission and teach lessons from space to schoolchildren around the country, Christa McAuliffe. An investigation found that the two rubber O-rings, which were designed to separate the sections of the rocket booster, failed due to bad weather, very cold Florida temperature on the morning of the launch.

SPACE SHUTTLE DISASTER

A military honor guard carries the remains of one of the crew members of the Space Shuttle Challenger at Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Tuesday, April 29, 1986, as the body was being transferred to Dover, Del. Seven crew members were killed in the Jan. 28th explosion. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

Space Shuttle Challenger 1986

The crew for the Space Shuttle Challenger flight 51-L leaves their quarters for the launch pad, Jan. 27, 1986, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Front to back are Commander Francis Scobee, Mission Spl. Judith Resnik, Mission Spl. Ronald McNair, Payload Spl. Gregory Jarvis, Mission Spl. Ellison Onizuka, teacher Christa McAuliffe, and pilot Michael Smith. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

U.S PRESIDENT REAGAN

U.S. President Ronald Reagan is shown in the Oval Office in the White House after a televised address to the nation about the Shuttle Challenger explosion on Jan. 28, 1986. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)

SHUTTLE CHALLENGER LIFTOFF

The Space Shuttle Challenger lifts off Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 11:38 a.m., EST, January 28, 1986. The entire crew of seven was lost in the explosion 73 seconds into the launch. (AP Photo/NASA)

CHALLENGER EXPLOSION

The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after lifting off from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., Tuesday, Jan. 28, 1986. All seven crew members died in the explosion, which was blamed on faulty o-rings in the shuttle's booster rockets. The Challenger's crew was honored with burials at Arlington National Cemetery. (AP Photo/Bruce Weaver)

Parents of Christa McAuliffe and Sister

The family of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher who was America's first astronaut, realize the horror after the Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger blew apart after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 1986. The sister of Christa, Betsy, left, and parents Grace and Ed Corrigan console each other after the explosion. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)

Space Shuttle Challenger 1986

The Space Shuttle orbiter Challenger lifts off from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, Jan. 28, 1986, in a cloud of smoke with a crew of seven aboard. The shuttle exploded after this photo, taken from atop the Vehicular Assembly Building, was made. (AP Photo/Thom Baur)

Space Shuttle Challenger 25th Anniversary

In this Jan. 28, 1986 picture, two unidentified spectators at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., react after they witnessed the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger. (AP Photo/File)

Space U.S. Shuttle Challenger Accident Reaction

Diana Zeppiene, carrying a model of the Space Shuttle, and Eric Olson, carrying a folded American flag, walk down the aisle of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Melbourne, Florida on Thursday, Jan. 30, 1986 during a children's mass celebrated in honor of the Challenger crew. The children presented the model and flag as symbolic offerings. (AP Photo/Joe Skipper)

Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster

Kennedy Space Center workers enroute to Pad 39B were met by the sight of seven small American flags along side the road, Jan. 30, 1986. Seven crew members were killed in the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger on Tuesday which was launched from Pad 39B. (AP Photo/Phil Sandlin)

SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER CREW

This is the official NASA photo of the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger mission 51L. All seven members of the crew were killed when the shuttle exploded during launch on Jan. 28, 1986. From front left, are: astronauts Michael J. Smith, Francis R. (Dick) Scobee, and Ronald E. McNair. Rear left are: Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik. (AP Photo)

Space Shuttle Challenger McAuliffe 1986

Christa McAuliffe tries out the commander's seat on the flight deck of a shuttle simulator at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, Sept. 13, 1985. McAuliffe is scheduled for a space flight on the Space Shuttle Challenger in January, 1986. (AP Photo)

Space U.S. Ships Shuttle Challenger Flight

The Space Shuttle Challenger rolls out to launch pad 39-B, Dec. 25, 1985, in preparation for its scheduled launch on January 22, 1986. This launch will be the first shuttle launch from Kennedy Space Center's pad 39-8. Another first for this launch will be the first private citizen, New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe, to ride the shuttle. (AP Photo/Jim Neihouse)

Photograph of Christa McAuliffe

Flowers, telegrams, photographs, and a model of the Challenger lie in a display case, Thursday, Jan. 30, 1986, at the Concord, New Hampshire High School in remembrance of Christa McAuliffe, a teacher at the school who was one of seven astronauts killed in the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. (AP Photo/Peter A. Southwick)

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