The crew of Challenger included Commander Francis R. Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Mission Specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, Ronald E. McNair, and Payload Specialist Gregory B. Jarvis. Also among them was a civilian chosen from over 10,000 applicants for NASA's "Teacher in Space" program: New Hampshire middle school teacher S. Christa McAuliffe, who aimed to inspire students from space. On January 28, 1986, despite unexpectedly cold temperatures at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the launch proceeded as scheduled. Tragically, unknown vulnerabilities led the shuttle to disintegrate less than two minutes after liftoff, marking one of the darkest days in space exploration history.
Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into flight, their last words give us chills
In 1986, the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger was barely off the ground when disaster struck.
Being an astronaut is inherently risky. As space exploration surged in the late 20th century, numerous successful manned and unmanned missions inspired hope and pride worldwide. But alongside these triumphs came heartbreaking tragedies—one of the most unforgettable being the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. In 1986, NASA’s STS-51L mission, the 10th flight of the space shuttle Challenger, was poised to complete a groundbreaking six-day journey. However, just 73 seconds after launch, a catastrophic malfunction caused the Challenger to explode, killing all seven crew members on board.
In the transcript of the Challenger crew's conversations released by NASA, one can find the comments made by Scobee, Smith, Onizuka and Resnik during their last few seconds. While the recorder was activated around 2 minutes before launch, the crew was heard sharing some light-hearted banter while also discussing the technicalities like cabin pressure, alarms and harnesses. Once the space shuttle was set in motion, Smith, the pilot, exclaimed, "Here we go. Go! You Mother." Smith later pointed out, "Looks like we’ve got a lotta wind here today," to which Scobee replied, "Yeah. It’s a little hard to see out my window here."
The space shuttle was gradually gaining speed, and Smith enthusiastically said, "Feel that mother go." A few seconds after the shuttle reached 35000 feet, the pilot and the commander were keeping the airspeed under check when Scobee said, "Roger, go at throttle up." That was when things went downhill and Smith, who probably figured that something was wrong, said, "Uh oh." It was the last word heard from the crew, after which NASA lost all contact with the team and people all around the world watched the space shuttle explode in the sky.
NASA reported that the space shuttle exploded because of the loss of integrity of the O-ring seals in the solid rocket booster segment joints. Concerns were raised by the engineers who worked on the program regarding the inefficient O-ring seals caused by the freezing temperatures the previous night. However, the managers cleared the launch on January 28, which ultimately resulted in the loss of seven lives.
Some of the last footage of the Apollo 1 astronauts shortly before they tragically perished after a fire broke out and engulfed the capsule. pic.twitter.com/X5ljWVKQ6e
— Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) April 23, 2024
Speaking of the final moments before a disaster, rare footage from British Pathé of the Apollo 1 crew's preparations has been breaking hearts online. Leaving their loved ones behind on Earth, the three astronauts of the Apollo 1 mission were nervously gearing up in their space suits for a launch rehearsal test. The video shared by Morbid Knowledge (@Morbidful) on X shows the moments before the spacecraft's cabin was engulfed in fire, devouring the lives of the three astronauts.
The then-President Ronald Reagan addressed the tragedy, highlighting the loss. "We've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together," he said.
"For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge, and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us. We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years, the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers," he added.
This article originally appeared 1 year ago.
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