CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Wednesday marks 40 years since the NASA space shuttle Challenger broke apart after lifting off, killing all seven people on board off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
Investigations have since determined what caused the disaster on Jan. 28, 1986. The bitter cold weakened the O-ring seals in Challenger’s right solid rocket booster, causing the shuttle to rupture 73 seconds after liftoff. Crews knew about the seal problem and warned engineers for years, but flights continued due to pressure from NASA leadership.
Challenger’s crew included schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, who was selected from thousands of applicants representing every state. Two of her fellow teacher-in-space contenders — both retired now — attended a recent memorial for the victims.
Since the disaster, NASA has set new requirements for launch conditions, from temperature and humidity to winds. It’s one of the reasons why you often hear “launch delayed due to weather.”
In addition, safety officials can now halt a launch without fear of retaliation. NASA has also formally rejected “past success equals future safety,” meaning near misses and warnings are not reassurances.
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