Why did the space shuttle Challenger explode?
On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger took off on its tenth launch from Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral in Florida. Seventy-three seconds into the flight, an external fuel tank (solid rocket booster) carrying more than 500,000 gallons (1,892,500 liters) of liquid hydrogen caught fire and the craft exploded. On board were seven astronauts: Francis “Dick” Scobee (1939–1986), Michael Smith (1945-1986), Judith Resnik (1949–1986), Ellison Onizuka (1946–1986), Ronald McNair (1950–1986), Gregory Jarvis (1944–1986), and Christa McAuliffe (1948–1986). Although the astronauts survived the explosion, they died when the shuttle plummeted 9 miles (14 kilometers) and hit the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recovered the debris, which was scattered many miles across the water,…
