Facts about Space Shuttle Challenger
- 08
After the disaster, President Reagan appointed a special commission led by former Secretary of State William Rogers to investigate the Challenger accident.
- 07
Challenger's final crew included mission specialist Gregory Jarvis, who was conducting experiments on liquid crystal polymers during the ill-fated STS 51-L mission.
- 06
Challenger's 1985 STS 51-F mission carried Spacelab 2, a scientific payload that conducted experiments in plasma physics and infrared astronomy during an eight-day orbital mission.
- 05
During its 1984 STS 41-B mission, Challenger deployed the first commercial communications satellite for Indonesia, marking the shuttle's role in expanding global telecommunications infrastructure.
- 04
Ten missions flew the Space Shuttle Challenger between 1983 and 1986, completing 98 orbits and carrying 40 crew members total across its operational history.
- 03
The Space Shuttle Challenger's first mission in April 1983 carried Sally Ride, who became the first American woman in space at age 32.
- 02
Seven astronauts perished in the Challenger disaster, including teacher Christa McAuliffe, who was selected for NASA's Teacher in Space program.
- 01
On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after launch due to an O-ring failure in the right solid rocket booster.