The Challenger Disaster | A Short Documentary | Fascinating Horror

"On the 28th of January, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger launched into a clear blue sky from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida..."
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TRANSLATIONS:
► This video is also available in German ( • Das Challenger Desaste... )
SOCIAL MEDIA:
► Twitter: / truehorrortales
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CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Intro
00:48 - Background
02:52 - The Challenger Disaster
05:52 - The Investigation
09:16 - The Aftermath
MUSIC:
► "Glass Pond" by Public Memory
► "The Plan's Working" by Cooper Cannell
SOURCES:
► "Space shuttle Challenger and the disaster that changed NASA forever" by Elizabeth Howell, published by Space.com, February 2022. Link: www.space.com/18084-space-shu....
► "35 Years Ago: Remembering Challenger and Her Crew" by John Uri, published by NASA, January 2021. Link: www.nasa.gov/feature/35-years....
► "Challenger crew likely survived explosion before tragic plunge to earth" by Reed Tucker, published by New York Post, June 2021. Link: nypost.com/2021/06/19/challen....
► "How Legendary Physicist Richard Feynman Helped Crack the Case on the Challenger Disaster" by Kevin Cook, published by LitHub, June 2021. Link: lithub.com/how-legendary-phys....
► "Explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger Address to the Nation" by President Ronald W Reagan, curated by Steve Garber, published by NASA, June 2004. Link: history.nasa.gov/reagan12886.....
​​​​​​​#Documentary​​​​ #History​​​​​​​​​ #TrueStories​

[@gooseherdez336]

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled." Feynman words at the end of his report, and a lesson we shouldn't forget.

[@stevencooke6451]

Accepting reality especially when it seems immune to the time and financial pressures of projects or corporations seems beyond far too many people.

[@dogcarman]

Reality has a way of asserting itself despite wishful thinking. Much progress is paid for with blood without it really being necessary, but that’s probably human nature…

[@bendingspring]

The money people got in the way of the facts....& 7 families were ruined.....& a proud nation was destroyed.

[@appliedengineering4001]

The same political issues that destroyed this shuttle also caused the Chernobyl disaster as well. Which also happen in 1986. And you're right. Not only can nature not be fooled. It will not bend to the unrealistic will of man.

[@benoitbergeron8858]

That sentence explains exactly why I had issues with how gouvernements dealt with the pandemic

[@spyone4828]

I remember my father saying about this: "It dropped below freezing the night before. Back in Apollo ... no WAY they launch after that. People got complacent, and stopped thinking of going to space as dangerous." This was well before anybody knew what the actual cause was, and he pretty much nailed it.

[@Preservestlandry]

They always wait till they kill astronauts then say,"From now on, safety is our number one concern." It should have already been. Set them on fire? From now on we care about safety. Apollo 13, from now on. Challenger, from now on. Columbia, from now on. Until the next time.

[@KristenRowenPliske]

Did he work at NASA? My dad did, in Houston.

[@freshtapcoke]

👍 I bet your dad was an engineer, or an engineer at heart. Reminds me of Gene Kranz’s Tough and Competent speech. “Spaceflight will never tolerate carelessness, incapacity, and neglect.”

[@spyone4828]

Since folks have been asking, Dad was a Communication professor who grew up on a dairy farm.

[@G0DofRock]

That's why Pete Davidson isn't going anymore lol that and he knows Kanye has plans

[@animeking1357]

One thing I've noticed while watching FH's videos is that the vast majority of these accidents occurred because of a known problem that was purposefully ignored by the people in charge. It's very frustrating to say the least to see how little regard for safety some people have simply because it'll cost them more money to solve said problems.

[@brianmatthews4323]

There's an old saying that safety regs are written in blood.

[@TinaTissue28]

@@brianmatthews4323 After watching the channel for years now, I can confirm that saying. So many tragedies could have been prevented

[@ianwestc]

"Normalization of deviance." A term coined for the Challenger disaster, but it's an explanation for many such decisions throughout history.

[@smashbash2673]

The thing that gets me about all these videos is that I truly understand now that history and rules were build with blood. It’s sobering and extremely sad how many corporations have no regard for human life.

[@sandrasanders706]

Or about public relations and prestige. One of the worst days in American History. The world mourned with us. The Chicag Bears just won their first world championship since 1963 two days earlier. From celebration to heartbreak in 48 hours..

[@myahstrauser]

My fifth grade teacher was second in line to be on that mission. I remember her sitting us all down and talking to us about it... something I’ll never forget. Very emotional stuff, especially since she was my favorite teacher at the time.

[@heartsDmise]

How horrible…Im so glad she didn’t get on though, and Im glad she was able to use this as a teaching moment as well.

[@DeadManSinging1]

Was she the woman who was the stand in astronaut? Everyone on that flight had a replacement who went through all the same training incase their counterpart couldn't make the flight for one reason or another.

[@j_m_b_1914]

Barbara Radding Morgan was McAuliffe's backup during that mission and she did eventually go into space as the first teacher in space. (Although she stopped teaching in 1998). I think she was pulling your leg because Morgan wasn't teaching during that time but was training as the backup in the event McAuliffe got ill, etc. She did return to Idaho to teach in late '86 though -- did you attend McCall-Donnelly Elementary?

[@casswashwash1070]

@@j_m_b_1914 maybe she was in the competition? Lol idk

[@jbrubin8274]

Barbara seemed like the kind of teacher Christa was and I’m so glad you did not loss your favorite teacher. I count to 74 seconds manned or not to this day. I was in sixth grade. With much love and a shared tragedy that hit close, New Hampshire born and raised. ☮️

[@catstate]

the fact that they survived the explosion, even if just for a few seconds or minutes, is so horrifying to me... i hope theyre all resting in peace. great video as always man, keep up the great work

[@colormetakenaback]

Yeah that is haunting to think of. Just awful 😢

[@damagecontrol7]

after surviving the explosion you'd hope there'd be some type of eject and parachute technology built in

[@TheCatsMe00w]

From what I remember from the Swindled podcast Challenger episode, it is likely some of them where conscious for the whole experience until they inevitably lost Oxygen within the Atlantic. Telling the public they parished instantly was part of the attempted cover-up.

[@Luubelaar]

They survived the explosion and breakup of the shuttle, at least 4 of them activated their emergency oxygen supply, but the cabin capsule slammed into the water at a speed incompatible with survival of the human occupants. I can't imagine how terrifying it must have been for them. May they all rest in peace.

[@Unownshipper]

I had always assumed/hoped death was instant; nothing could have saved them, so spare them the agony of waiting. I almost wish I hadn't learned that detail. What a tragedy.

[@QT5656]

Richard Feynman was an interesting guy. I highly recommend reading his books about his life. The story about how used to "play" with security locks when bored is particularly interesting.

[@Ozymandias1]

He had a knack of making complicated scientific concepts easy to understand to the average member of the public. There are several lectures of him on KZbin. kzbin.info?search_query=feynman+lectures

[@cottonpony7899]

My friend was his Nephew. Interesting man

[@bigsmall246]

I only know of Feynman diagrams but didn't know he was involved in the investigation

[@thejasonknightfiascoband5099]

I might just do that. Thanks for the suggestion.

[@QT5656]

@@thejasonknightfiascoband5099 Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! is the name of the book I'm thinking of in particular although I think there's more than one.

[@WookieeMonster1]

I remember watching this happen on TV. I was 11 years old, laying in my parent's bed, having stayed home sick from school. I remember staring at the screen, trying to comprehend and process what I had just witnessed. I was old enough to know something had gone wrong, but too young to truly grasp the scope of it. It's one of those incidents that would change my view of life and world for the rest of my days. A small step for man. A giant loss for mankind.

[@ModeofHorror]

I can completely relate. While I am too young to have been around for this disaster, I was about 13 during the September 11 attacks on the Twin Towers. I remember my teacher getting a phone call and rushing to turn on the news in the classroom; seeing the footage of the second plane hit the tower. I felt exactly as you described. Our school was evacuated shortly after and I still remember our teacher addressing our class in tears saying something to the effect of, "you are all leaving early but this is not a cause for celebration. If I see any of you cheering, you will be in big trouble." That was the quietest I ever heard the school. I still remember the somber walk home trying to come to terms with what had happened. I can't imagine what it would have been like to be there in person for the Challenger disaster, especially for those who had loved ones aboard.

[@jen30551]

Same! Same age, home sick (alone, parents at work) and had the same reaction - something is wrong but maybe they're ok. I remember being so upset that I had to stay home because my class was watching it live. I still dont know what was better. Watching the endless coverage alone or having been in class with 20 other kids who were an emotional wreck. We had followed Christa Mcauliffe's journey through our Weekly Readers and wrote letters to her. After the accident our class wrote letters to her family. It was one of my earliest experiences with processing grief. Fortunately I had a good teacher who helped us through it.

[@jen30551]

@@ModeofHorror That is next level intense. It sounds like you had a good teacher who made sure you knew something serious was happening without going to much into it.

[@evegreenification]

I too was home from school sick. I was 9.

[@almilhouse9059]

This was similar for me on 9/11 I was at home sick in bed, we had 11 or 13 channels at the time and I remember most of them changing to breaking news.

[@meghan0]

I was a kid when this happened. One of the freakiest aspects of this is the fact that this mission was very highly publicized to children. The whole point of including Christa McAuliffe was to get kids and teachers excited about space and foster interest in the sciences. We did special units and reports on Christa and the space shuttle and NASA, and the launch itself was shown live in school as it happened. So many kids watched that happen and so many teachers had to suddenly deal with a classroom full of crying, scared children.

[@meh_lady]

Yes, it was a HUGE deal and our school really hyped it up. The upcoming launch was the main focus on TV for weeks. My school’s plan was to not do any normal stuff for all the students to watch the events the entire day. Of course we had the metal carts with small TV’s on them because that was an 80’s staple. My group was in the library and I was in 6th grade so we were well old enough to understand what we saw. It was horrific.

[@LexxLuthor5150]

Yup. I watched it live in my classroom. It stuck with me to this day. I remember being so scared. My classroom went from excitement to complete and utter shock. It got so quiet…

[@catperson6146]

Yeah, we watched it live in class too. Up to this point it was a bit of a party atmosphere because we didn't often get to watch TV in class. When it happened the room went dead silent. We knew something very, very bad had happened but we weren't quite sure what it all meant. My teacher just quietly walked over to the tv, turned it off, and we were given busywork to do. 😔

[@1805movie]

The higher ups knew there were problems with the shuttle, but they let it commence anyway. Meeting the deadline was more important than improving the safety standards. It's so shameful that all of this could have been prevented, and those 7 astronauts would still be alive today.

[@ethribin4188]

Typical problem. Managers not listening to their specialists. Even though tgat is what a manager is supposed to do

[@frankmarano1118]

That poor teacher trusted in them to make it safe as possible.. if only she knew management was a bunch of idiots

[@AnonEyeMouse]

They knew, but didn't comprehend. One of the fundamental issues with management class. The urge to 'not embarrass' NASA was a perfect example. The harm to NASA's reputation was done when those seven people died. The desire of engineers and scientists to find out where the error was and how to fix it so no one else died? That was the noble tradition upon which the reputation was built in the first place. Far from embarrassing NASA, that was the fastest path back to regaining public trust.

[@chatteyj]

It was the media if I recall that were getting impatient with the delays they wanted the story to happen already, so nasa felt the pressure of that. The media are scum, they got their story and it was even better than they could have hoped for, they have blood on their hands.

[@ashkebora7262]

@@AnonEyeMouse Skipping safety is always stupid. Always. The fact that they had 'an' other reason besides being a dumbass DOES NOT absolve management of bad management. Period. Ever. This was management's fault. It was their cause. It was their reasoning. Period. They are at fault. FAULT.

[@dl7281]

I walked in to my father filling out the prerequisite forms needed for this flight. He had been in the Korean War; afterward taught U.S. history for decades, and was keen on the program and going to space. Glad he wasn’t chosen. We all remember the tragedy too well.

[@LittleKitty22]

Goodness, he must have been disappointed when he wasn't chosen but, given the circumstances, I'm glad to hear he wasn't!

[@MrT------5743]

Barbara Morgan was Christa McAuliffe's backup and later flew to space in 2007.

[@Willpower-74205]

"The cast and crew of Star Trek wish to dedicate this film to the men and women of the spaceship Challenger whose courageous spirit shall live to the 23rd century and beyond..." - Star Trek IV I've lost count how many times I watched the movie, and I still get misty-eyed over it. They were true heroes.

[@samholdsworth420]

Heroes because they blew up? Interesting 🤔

[@Willpower-74205]

@@samholdsworth420 Depends on your definition, really. They all knew the risks of going up in a rocket. I'm sure they were all more than a little nervous about it. True courage and heroism lies not in the denial of fear, but in accepting and overcoming it, something we need to keep in mind, especially in these times. Our own fear will always be our worst enemy.

[@BebbaDubbs]

@@samholdsworth420 who do you think NASA Astronauts are? They are active military or veterans. Heros.

[@vigo894]

And being able to write doesn't make you intelligent.

[@jclp81]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4i6k62CbbeHf9E

[@kittikat4124]

My mom’s college had cancelled classes that day so everyone could watch it on tv that day (or drive the about 10 hours to the site). They were then off for the whole week following the disaster. She said the silence in the common area filled with college kids will be something forever in her mind, aside from the noise from the tv, no one spoke or moved for quite a while.

[@reddwarf9422]

In Elementary school we all watched it happen. Teachers played the broadcast in the classrooms.

[@patrickallen8787]

My uncle was Allan J McDonald of Thiokol engineering. He was one of the key people who recommended strongly against this launch. He gave a testimony in the US Capitol, wrote a book about his entire experience called Truth Lies and O Rings and the man wasn't even able to give my grandfather a eulogy at the funeral without mentioning his contributions to the Challenger.

[@playgroundchooser]

Your uncle was a hero. He did everything he could to save the lives of those astronauts.

[@patrickallen8787]

@@playgroundchooser Indeed, he was. Thank you so much!!!

[@ExperimentIV]

your uncle was a hero. i’m sure he lived the rest of his life haunted by his recommendations (and those of others) being overridden because Thiokol couldn’t prove the o-rings would fail at that temperature, instead of the ethical way, proving they WOULDNT fail. i’m glad he was vindicated, and i wish NASA had listened to him and his colleagues.

[@iamwhoiam7887]

I love watching his speeches on ethics. I'm also 50 pages into his book. It's awesome! I was sad to hear he passed within the past few years.

[@lesterforney6200]

May the bastards who didn't listen to your uncle burn in hell

[@borleyboo5613]

Many years before this event, a young boy went to a library to borrow books about space which was his passion. Because it was a ‘whites only’ library, the boy was, at first refused the books. But after the librarian had kicked up a fuss, and with the persuasion of the boy’s mother, he was able to borrow the books. The young boy was Ronald who was one of those who lost his life on Challenger. May they all rest in eternal peace. 🌹

[@motherlove202]

They named that same library after him in his honor

[@borleyboo5613]

@@motherlove202 Yes, indeed they did. 👍

[@thelilartzy]

There’s a video from one of his family members talking about him in great detail. I would recommend watching it!

[@iPartySober]

@@thelilartzy what’s this video called? Can you link it?

[@Art__E]

Props to Feynman for doing his best to find the truth of the problem no matter what others told him to do, what a legend man. I respect him.

[@M2ofEMMM]

This is the first disaster covered here with a memorial that I've actually been to. Iirc, the ashes of those who died *had* to be combined because it was too difficult to differentiate individual remains after such a violent death. And yet you don't really feel that when you're standing there in peaceful Arlington, looking at the very tasteful and beautifully crafted memorial that honors them as a crew.

[@M2ofEMMM]

@@merlynjep You mean the part about the ashes?

[@merlynjep]

@@M2ofEMMM I deleted my comment a few minutes after I made because I found that there were some body parts that were never sorted . They were as you said buried in a common grave in Arlington. All of the astronauts had the majority of their remains identified and returned to the families.

[@M2ofEMMM]

@@merlynjep Ah, thank you for the correction.

[@lunaequinox7333]

I've been to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (I'm from the same state Christa was) but I've never seen the Arlington memorial. I hope it does a good job of honoring them.

[@saragrant9749]

I watched this happen live in 1st grade. My teacher had to explain to 18 of us that the astronauts were all killed. Such a sad day for everyone. There is a planetarium bearing Crista’s name. What’s really sad is the fact that the engineers, who had more understanding of the logistics of launch and the shuttle were completely ignored by beurocrats who thought they knew it all. The biggest lesson to learn was to pay attention to what the actual experts say.

[@henryturnerjr3857]

I was in 5th or 6th. Our school only had one TV so there were several classes of us watching in the lunchroom. Our teachers had a rough day that day.

[@MakerInMotion]

Same reason two Boeing 737 Max planes crashed killing hundreds. Boeing ignored its engineers.

[@EclecticDD]

@@dajorivision4897 Troll

[@MyFriendlyPup]

Episode of Punky Brewster also showed the trauma. Thankfully all 5 are alive and well.

[@MyFriendlyPup]

@@EclecticDD they've all been discovered alive and well.

[@billyd78]

I saw this live on TV. On the original broadcast the camera was zoomed out fully so you couldn't see the fireball but you could tell something wasn't right. I'll never forget the announcer's words; "obviously a major malfunction". It wasn't until later on when they showed zoomed in footage that you could see the fire and explosion.

[@wyomingadventures]

I remember that day well. Very sad.

[@themirrorsofmymind]

*As soon as I read those words, "obviously a major malfunction", it was like it was being replayed on tape in my head!* I could tell right away that _the whole shuttle had been blown apart_ but the reporter seemed to be confused and/or in denial/shock at the time! After all this time, it still seems unreal in a way to me, like such a thing just couldn't happen...

[@roxannepearls901]

I was working at my college job in the admissions office watching the launch live on TV with the rest of the staff. Like the question “Do you remember where you were when Kennedy was shot?” I will always remember exactly where I was and the collective feelings of disbelief and tears of the people in the office with me. It’s still visceral after all these years.

[@peterdeane4490]

I was home with our baby son when this happened. I remember that at first the news announcers were holding out some home that some crew members had survived. Alas, not so.

[@mcdjinn6975]

There was a bright flash of light; it was obvious that ignition had occurred.

[@themostdangerousProd]

My father is a retired aerospace engineer. He’s a stereotypical old school man, stoic, rarely shows emotions. One of the few times I’ve seen him cry is when he watched footage of the Challenger tragedy. I jeered him when I was a kid once that he was crying, and he explained to me that as an aerospace engineer, it was people like him’s job to make sure those astronauts were safe, and those engineers failed them. The experience moved me. I’ll never forget that about my father.

[@Dfk429S9fo3]

But the engineers didn't fail, the management did.

[@Nonayabizness360]

I’m in my late 40’s and our whole class was watching this live because of Christa , I absolutely idolized her and this traumatized every single child in my grade. We watched the space shuttle blow up on live television and we were all old enough ( I was 13 ) to know no one lived after that. I can still say that it was one of the most traumatizing events of my childhood. I still feel sad when I think about all of those astronauts family members who watched their loved ones die .

[@TornadoSponge]

This was one of those days that went down in history as a “You remember where you were when it happened” event. My mom told me bits and pieces of what she remembered. RIP the astronauts of the Challenger.

[@socialmoth4974]

I was in my 4th grade classroom watching it on tv.

[@MyFriendlyPup]

They are all alive bro.

[@jenl5988]

I was watching in my 1st grade classroom. That's something I'll never forget.

[@christophermerlot3366]

I do remember. I was in Grade 10 French class outside of Toronto when Miss Lubinski told us that it happened.

[@darquehuntre4]

6th grade science class 1st period. We were so pumped and then this. I think that we had a half day and went home.

[@jaxkovak]

Feynman was one of the greatest physicists in history. I had no idea that he was involved in this investigation, but I am not at all surprised that he went his own way and forged ahead for the truth.

[@heyheytaytay]

What's fascinating is that there was generally little concern about cold on most launches but that particular morning it was colder than expected. Degrees matter (in both chemistry and engineering). If the launch had been delayed by just a few hours it wouldn't have been cold enough to produce the same effect which lead to the disaster.

[@jraabsicknasty]

The fact that they were all cremated and buried together makes me believe that they couldn’t tell who was what inside that capsule after they had crashed. God bless those astronauts and their friend and families.

[@Yikes702]

Read Adam Higgenbotham's new 500 page book about the disaster. It describes what happened to them.

[@anggab96]

I have a Richard Feynman quote tattooed: “I, a universe of atoms, an atom in the universe.” He’s the man

[@deannalynn6847]

I love this quote!

[@indy_go_blue6048]

To quote the Moody Blues, intro to Threshold of a Dream: "I'm more than that. I know I am. At least, I think I must be."

[@Catsjamify]

I was 16 when this happened, and the gravity of the loss penetrated even my teenaged-obsessed-with-music-and-boys brain. Since then, and especially since reports and details have been declassified and available to the public, I've spent many hours reading about this event and I remain fascinated and horrified. Excellent work putting together this concise but informative account!

[@eighmie28]

You might enjoy reading "Riding Rockets" by Mike Mullane. He is an astronaut who worked at NASA during this time, and he has a lot to say about the Challenger explosion, what led up to it, and the aftermath.

[@safeysmith6720]

I was five years old. Back then you either had morning or afternoon kindergarten, and I was in morning kindergarten. My mother had just picked me up and brought me home.. she turned on the tv for me while she fixed lunch. I knew how to work the channels and just so happened to come across a space shuttle about to launch, it was literally in it’s final countdown and I watched it all alone as a five year old. When it exploded I went and got my mom because I didn’t really know what happened and my mom had to explain to me that I just watched seven people lose their lives, which didn’t really compute with me. My mom was never all that religious, but I remember her taking both my hands and saying a little prayer with me to the affect of “God, please give their family strength and forgive these seven souls for any sins they may have committed and please let them into your Kingdom of Heaven.” It was the prayer that made me understand that they were gone forever and never coming back. Ever since, I’ve always tried to remember and say this little prayer to myself whenever I hear of someone dying in an accident.

[@SacredFire777]

I was nineteen. I was at work. I couldn't see it on TV until I got home. This all before the internet and smartphones. At first it was confusing, people weren't sure if the explosion was part of the launch.

[@haleyjade6853]

I was just little when this happened, but the memory of this is forever burned into my mind. I was there when it happened. At the time, we still had a lot of family living in that part of Florida so we were vacationing there that week. We didn’t go to the actual launch, but we were at a little convenience store down the road. The store clerk had his tv on that channel watching it live, so when my dad and I realized this, he scooped me up, said “You wanna see something really cool??!!” I of course said “Yeah!!” And he ran outside with me in his arms and told me to look up. It was amazing. Then in the blink of an eye, it exploded. I didn’t understand what was happening, I just thought that was part of it. I still had a huge smile plastered on my face till I looked at my dad. I can’t even describe the look of horror on his face. I will never forget it. I saw tears well up in his eyes, which in turn made me start to cry. We probably only stood there for a few minutes but it felt like hours. I ended up becoming somewhat obsessed with the Challenger and Christa McAuliffe. When I was in 2nd grade, we had to do a little “book report” type deal, and I found a book about her specifically at our school library and of course decided to do my book report on that book. I didn’t understand the gravity of what had happened when it actually happened of course, but now, I still can’t watch, read, or hear anything about the Challenger without being immediately transported back to that day and time. It still hurts my heart so much to see them waving goodbye on their final walk. 😞

[@bonniehowell9206]

I was only three years old and don't remember. However, I resided in Brevard County and my dad worked for NASA at that time. . Back then , they used to give employees free passes to view the launch on the NASA Causeway (Not to be confused with the VIP section with the clock and bleachers) Based on what my mom told me, she thought it would get scrubbed due to the weather , but took us anyway because we had family in town who had never seen a launch and wanted to sight see around Cape Canaveral anyway. She said she looked down and my sister and I running around and when she looked up saw the explosion and started to freak out causing us to cry because we were scared and confused what was going on.

[@StrongDreamsWaitHere]

"Hot fuel leaked through the gap and ignited." So close, in a very good presentation. It was a solid fuel booster, so it wasn't fuel that leaked, but hot combustion gasses that burned through the joint like a blowtorch, eventually imparting a sideways thrust that drove the SRB into the external fuel tank.

[@MrT------5743]

The SRB wasn't driven into the external fuel tank. The hot gasses burned through the side of the external fuel tank setting it on fire.

[@SombraPiloto]

@@MrT------5743 Exactly. The thrust of such a small plume would be insignificant compared to the forces the SRBs and their attachment mechanisms were designed for and subjected to and would be easily counteracted.

[@BenJewer]

@@SombraPiloto Yeah, the SRB did impact the intertank/liquid oxygen tank, but as I understand it that was after the liquid hydrogen tank had already exploded due to the burn through. The booster was only free to pivot around the forward attach point because the damage to the external tank had freed it from the aft attach.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@MrT------5743 Wrong. The SRB detached and spun around its top fitting and ruptured the tank.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@BenJewer Nothing exploded.

[@bjoink-yh4hr]

i went to a school named after christa, every year we would learn about this and remember her. interesting to hear exactly what happened though, thank you for covering all of the events that you do

[@ahh_yes_mr_bax]

I went to that school for about a year before i moved. My 4th grade year. To be honest i was too young to remember the disaster but re learning it in the 90s at the school the teacher taught at humbled my tinny self a little. I was very proud to have had the chance to go to that school and speak to a couple teachers that knew her in the 80s

[@violetvalentine999]

if memory serves, at least 1 of christa's children was watching this event on television. at least one of her kids had to watch their mom die in a violent explosion on live TV. that has to be one of the worst things any human could ever witness, much less a child. nasa's repeated negligence is nothing short of infuriating. love your videos. you cover disasters like these with such respect & clarity.

[@MrDannyDetail]

I believe that most of the astronauts, and Christa, had family members actually there in person at the launch. I think there is footage of (if memory serves) Christa's elderly parents gawping at the sky just after the explosion, with weird grins still on their faces, as due to shock they hadn't been able to process what happened or change their expressions.

[@adoxartist1258]

Her high school class was at Cape Canaveral and her family was too, if memory serves. We were so sick for them.

[@MyFriendlyPup]

You realize they've all been photographed and some have linked in profiles. Lmao. Guys.. what drugs are you on!?!?!

[@sixrats]

@@MyFriendlyPup Dude, you've posted this same reply to, like, seven different comments. We heard you.

[@lestatangel]

She didn't die in the explosion. They died when the crew capsule impacted the surface tension of the ocean.

[@P_RO_]

Another case of "normalized deviance". The engineers said no too-cold launches but since they'd gotten away with it before they thought they could safely tempt fate again. NASA had been aware of the O-ring issue from the start and initially agreed to limit launches, then changed to pressuring MT for permissions which they gave. All of the people at MT who authorized the launch against their engineer's protests committed murder and got away with it. All the people at NASA who pressured MT for permission aided and abetted those seven murders. We need to get away from the concept of corporate immunity and start allowing the personal prosecution of anyone who knowingly does wrong- that's the only way to make things right in our world.

[@chatteyj]

It was also especially cold I believe especially for Florida -5 celsius or something.

[@ExperimentIV]

normalised deviance was the term i kept looking for but forgot for my comments. thank you!

[@Sanakudou]

To me it’s messed up that the engineers on their own don’t have the authority to make the call of whether a launch is safe or not. If everyone involved in the maintenance/construction of the shuttle and the launch team can’t agree it’s safe, then it shouldn’t be possible to go ahead with the launch. Take risks when they’re unmanned rockets or whatever, but not when people are on board! It probably also isn’t a great idea to have the pressure of cameramen, tv networks on site and the general awareness that EVERYONE is expecting to watch this live on tv, as an added factor behind the decision making process, considering it risked killing people if things went wrong. I also wonder about the process and whether the shuttle crew themselves got to hear the engineers concerns and had a choice to continue or not, especially considering one was a civilian teacher, they haven’t pledged their lives like they’re in the military, they should’ve had the right to hear all current risks and concerns before getting on that shuttle.

[@MrT------5743]

You talk about normalized deviance and then also use the term murder. The term murder is flashy and draws attention but does not fit. Many people throw around that term incorrectly. Sort of like as normalized deviance where clearly unsafe practice comes to be considered normal, people use that term incorrectly but sometimes it has become normal. Murder requires premeditation. This would be closer to negligence, maybe criminally negligent manslaughter at worst.

[@61rampy65]

This story always makes me cry. I watched it live when it happened. Those poor astronauts! NASA has had many incredible successes, but they also had some major fails. Yes, space exploration is extremely dangerous, but to die a horrible death because of someone ignoring the safety recommendations of experts- well, that's almost akin to murder. RIP to all that died that fateful day.

[@PaleHorseShabuShabu]

This is the first "remember where you were" moment of my life. I was six years old and didn't fully understand the concept of death, but I knew something bad had happened. This either happened on a weekend or a day I was absent from school because I know I was in my house's TV room watching. The next "remember where you were" moment was when I found out that Mike Tyson had been defeated by Buster Douglas. In the video, the narrator says that the seven crew members were cremated and buried together. That's not fully true. The cause(s) of death for the crew members could not be determined, and the bodies were not intact when they were recovered. The remains that could not be identified were cremated and buried together, but the identifiable portions of each person were transferred to their families and buried or cremated separately.

[@adoxartist1258]

Every classroom in school that day had a television tuned to watching the launch. And explosion. It was horrible.

[@kathyastrom1315]

I remember hearing about this. I was in college, and had stopped at the corner store for a Diet Coke and a newspaper after class. I was a bit surprised to hear the radio at the store broadcasting the shuttle launch but tuned it out. It took a few minutes to really listen and I literally said out loud, “Wait, what?!? It BLEW UP?!!!?” I made my purchase and ran back to my dorm to watch the news.

[@Keithbarber]

In this day and age if anything happened like that, you'd be watching it on your smartphone/tablet

[@adoxartist1258]

I was 13 when it happened. Our school made sure each classroom had a working television so we could all watch the teacher go up into space. God, that was awful.

[@icarusbinns3156]

Mom said she was holding her cat tight enough in shock that her cat finally had to bite her to be let go. She had just finished college

[@eadecamp]

I was in army advanced training at the time and was limited to outside information. I had only heard in passing that the Challenger was even going up. That day we were coming back from lunch when our prof met us at the door letting us know that the Challenger blew up. I didn't think much of it at the time, but I realized later that it was one of those "Where were you when..." moments.

[@stevencooke6451]

I was in the library at the University of Western Ontario (now just Western University) when I heard. It just seemed so impossible. We have all become almost blase about Shuttle launches.

[@Sanakudou]

I can’t imagine what it would’ve been like to watch this happen live, as a non American it wasn’t on my radar, I only heard about it in headline news after it’d all already happened. It’s infuriating how avoidable it was. It’s also really tragic hearing they survived the initial explosion and had enough time to switch on oxygen, etc, it means they had enough time to realise what was going to happen to them. I think it’s a fear of mine to ever be in the situation where you know you’re going to die a bad death and be utterly powerless to stop it. It might be a bit gruesome to think about, but seeing as they died when they smashed back down onto the ground, I’m wondering if the choice to cremate and put them in a single grave wasn’t for the sake of the memorial but was because there wasn’t much left of any of any of them to separate into individual graves, as I’m presuming a crash from that height inside a metal pod would basically liquify most of the bodies inside from the crush. Just gotta hope that part of their death was instantaneous.

[@indy_go_blue6048]

I still wonder why it didn't have (a) parachute(s).

[@brookeg5979]

@@indy_go_blue6048 Not knowing enough to say for certain, I can only assume the parachute system was either severely damaged or dismantled entirely in the explosion and fire.

[@pygmybugs]

Definitely one of those "remember exactly what you were doing" moments in history (JFK, 911, Pearl Harbor). Myself and a classmate, who constituted our (tiny) school's entire "talented and gifted" program were watching it live on television. I was 10. It's hard to explain how big of a deal shuttle launches in the 80's were, especially if you were a weird nerdy kid. And I watched people die on live TV. We were in shock, but our teacher, for some weird reason, made us go around to all the classrooms and give them the news. The two nerdiest kids, sobbing and snotty, going around to every single class like "The shuttle blew up. Everybody died." I'm 45 and I still cry a little whenever I watch stuff like this. Excellent job covering it, as usual.

[@icarusbinns3156]

I’m too young to remember Challenger. But I’d be interested to hear more about Columbia. I do remember when that one blew up. The debris field was huge, as well, with bits being found in Texas

[@Astro95Media]

Highly recommend Mike Leinbach's book "Bringing Columbia Home". Incredibly detailed and heart-wrenching read. Well worth the time.

[@threehead99]

That one didn't blow up, so try remembering better.

[@totallylooney8292]

There's a Seconds From Disaster episode on Columbia (as well as Challenger). Also, both incidents (and many, many others) are covered in a thoughtful and insightful way in James Chiles's excellent book "Inviting Disaster: Lessons from the Edge of Technology"

[@totallylooney8292]

@@threehead99 Yea, it broke apart on re-entry due to loss of a protective tile, in turn due to a piece of insulation falling off of the aux fuel tank at launch.

[@hidingposer3422]

It had missing tiles from foam coming off at launch and knocking them off. It came in the atmosphere and did a double sonic boom. The hot gases from reentry went where the tiles needed to be and the space shuttle basically spun itself to pieces. Allegedly a piece of debris started an apartment building fire in Dallas. There was a debris trail, and body parts, from about there to inside Louisiana. There is a lake that allegedly most of the debris went into. I heard it that morning but didn't think to look up. We have a skeet range that made a similar noise a few miles away.

[@lucycarr6065]

"Challenger you are go for throttle up" and "Lock the doors" are moments from that launch that hit me in the gut every single time I rewatch the footage.

[@MrT------5743]

I had a friend that always joked about working for NASA back in the 80's and he got fired shortly after saying his infamous words "Challenger, go with throttle up".

[@racketyjack7621]

I had been out of the Navy a couple years and was living in the northwest. I walked across the street to the grocery store for a few items. When I got into line at the checkout I started wondering way the line wasn't moving. As I looked more closely, I realized everyone, and I mean everyone, was watching the TV mounted on the wall over the service desk, not speaking a single word. As my attention focused on the TV, I realized quickly what we were watching. I will never forget the sinking feeling in myself and the look of shock on people's faces. This was truly a sad day for America. We were all proud of Reagen as he gave voice to our feelings and helped us all to go forward from this tragic event that day.

[@mrskaa7584]

Thank you for including Reagan's speech. I was 11 when the Challenger exploded, and of course school children and teachers alike paid close attention to that shuttle launch. It looks like it was written by Peggy Noonan and based on a poem by John Gillespie McGee. Most of us listened to that speech the night of the disaster. I think it goes on the list of most powerful speeches ever given by US Presidents.

[@mariaday8040]

There was so much hype about this mission. The aim was to get the US citizens excited about the NASA space program as public interest had faded over the years. Hence why they included a citizen (teacher) in the lineup. It all backfired in the most horrible way and with school children watching it live.

[@Darkrosefae]

One of the worst feelings in the world was being so excited to watch this in school and to see it blow up after so much excitement was traumatizing and heart rending. It put a sudden and whole stop on the space and NASA program in our school.

[@HahnJames]

I remember shortly after the Challenger explosion, there was a story about a different booster design proposed by a different manufacturer than Thiokol. It was a one piece construction from top to bottom requiring no O-rings. It was more expensive. The company with the lower bid won the contract. This story quickly disappeared from the news services after it was first run. This makes the story all the much more tragic as it was apparently avoidable. No O-rings, no explosion.

[@bluecollie55_movies25]

Rather awful and sad that they chose something cheaper. In stories like these, the cheapest way is not often the best and, even worse, not safe enough. And those who knew better were powerless to change things for the better as those in charge went ahead and did things under methods that would accidentally cost the lives of seven people.

[@MrT------5743]

Who is to say that a booster with no O-Rings would not have had other worse issues? Hindsight is 20/20. Hate to break it to you, that nearly all government contracts the lowest bidder usually wins the contract. This does not necessarily mean it is lower quality or less functional since initial plans and bids change drastically from basic design to functional operational systems.

[@intrstrnr]

Watched this live in 7th grade. Still gives me chills and makes me emotional when I see it. The recording of Christa's parents reaction while watching the launch is heartbreaking and haunting.

[@AeroGuy07]

I like it when you cover things from the recent past. I had just turned 15 when this happened, a freshman in high school and we were watching it at school. All the TVs had been distributed and they consolidated classes so we could all watch. I will never forget the collective gasp from the 90+ people in the room when the shuttle exploded. My science teacher, who had entered her name but was weeded out, turned white and had to be helped from the room.

[@moominkomet]

I was in my high school math classroom when a kid running into the room told us to turn on the tv. So we did. We couldn’t believe it. Just that morning I before I left for school, the morning news reported the cold weather at the launch site. I didn’t think too much about it since it had become routine to launch a shuttle. I felt so bad for thinking that when I looked at the tv. I remember an interview with the McAuliffe family. She had a small child that didn’t want her to go to space. I remember her comforting them that she would be fine. I think of that often.

[@danl5159]

To think that if it weren't for one single person, the truth might never have come out as public knowledge...

[@ganjaman59650]

the official report is totally transparent on what happened...

[@BarbaraAnnB-yi5ew]

A few others were involved in exposing this. It wasn't just Feynman.

[@chatteyj]

@@ganjaman59650 Hard for it not to be given Feynman totally blew the whistle on nasa's shortcomings.

[@playgroundchooser]

I'd say those two guys from Morton Thiokol were the main reason it got out. They recommend not to launch, and the White House overrode their recommendation.

[@stevencooke6451]

Essentially he was a whistle blower, a person we do not celebrate nearly enough as a society.

[@susanzahn4922]

I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news. I was working at my first job, in a storage room at a factory, when the news came over the radio. I ran to talk with some coworkers and ask what they'd heard and they didn't believe me at first until the station they were listening to broke into the regular programing to announce it as well. It was heartbreaking--that program had held so much promise and each discovery and achievement was exciting and gave you hope for better things. I fear we've since lost that belief that we can keep moving forward into the unknown.

[@jhOO7]

This tragedy was preventable but senior management threw life safety out the window. It’s a big shame that they didn’t listen to the whistleblower. RIP to the Challenger crew and their friends/loved ones.

[@OutsideGamerGirl]

Thankfully, Feyman stood for what was right, despite the consequences. May the families who lost loved ones on that tragic day receive continual peace.

[@hushingsilence]

"They survived the explosion, but could do nothing when they hit the ground." First time I heard this. Did NASA keep this part a 'secret' ? I always heard they died in the explosion. ...And as everyone says, Feynman was one of a kind.

[@LeolaGlamour]

I’ve been hearing this lately, so it must have just came out. Because imo why and how did they die? If they survived there were flaws in the design because they should have been able to somehow land safely in the ocean.

[@spyone4828]

I had heard that they had not died immediately, ... and then intentionally tuned out the rest of that kind of stuff in the news. I think the video handled it tastefully, which sadly was not true of the news at the time. I remember vividly the exact detail about the recovered remains that ... "the public" didn't need to know that. The exact manner of their deaths is for the investigators and the families and really nobody else's business.

[@aliensoup2420]

Strange that the crew compartment was designed to survive a catastrophic failure in flight, but not survive the descent from high altitude - was it not equipped with parachutes?

[@ZGryphon]

It wasn't officially secret, but it wasn't widely publicized either (for relatively obvious reasons). Few people outside the program knew about it until it started turning up in documentaries years after the fact, when the national trauma was less raw and the people doing the reporting were less worried about the optics.

[@VideoDotGoogleDotCom]

@@aliensoup2420 There were no parachutes. The astronauts died when the cockpit hit the water. Some probably had already lost consciousness due to the extreme G forces when the shuttle disintegrated.

[@melinaesposito3434]

I remember being a little kid at school when this happened and kids being kids, said that NASA stood for 'need another seven astronauts'.

[@Bee-ih5uy]

I was a junior in high school. I will never forget that day...I was home sick and watched it on live TV. I remember running across the street in tears to my neighbor's house, where my mother was babysitting. Such a terrible and preventable event.

[@PBottomPoochies]

I remember this well. When I was in elementary school, it was common for the school to show each shuttle launching, but over time, it stopped being a novelty. The Challenger event happened when I was a junior in high school, and I can specifically remember I was coming out of French class when the whole class learned about it. The school pushed those TVs on a tall box into the hallways so we could all watch the news. I was flabbergasted and wrote my own short story based on the event. The second time a shuttle blew up, I was jogging in a schoolyard near my house and saw the debris trail from high above, thinking it was very odd. Little did I know….

[@deprofundis3293]

What was the second time??

[@VideoDotGoogleDotCom]

@@deprofundis3293 Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003.

[@gohawks3571]

I didn't know about the one investigator having cancer. Goes to show, when your body takes away your lifespan, it can make you more bold. If you have nothing to lose, throw yourself into a good cause! How heartbreaking for the people who were worried about something happening watch that thing happen that they warned everyone about😔 It certainly wasn't their fault.

[@somedumbozzie1539]

Richard Feynman was never shy about anything he was always very bold when it came to speaking his mind.

[@ExperimentIV]

Feynman would have been as blunt even if he wasn’t dying. He wasn’t really the kind of guy to let misinformation fly and he sure as hell wasn’t shy about correcting it in ways anyone could understand

[@gohawks3571]

@@ExperimentIV We sure need more people like him in this world👍

[@Panda_Coffee]

I grew up in NH in the 90s- the shock of the challenger disaster was so fresh on so many folks' minds. Christa Mcauliffe was a local school teacher- I didn't have teachers that knew her personally, but most had been so inspired by her. There was a framed memorial in my highschool hall, so I grew up knowing well what had happened. But it's so infuriating in hindsight to see how easily this could have been rectified.

[@qzwxecrv0192837465]

I watched this live at school as did the entire state I lived in……New Hampshire. Christa McCailiff was on board, a New Hampshire teacher, so it was a proud moment for us. It was so surreal, we stood there in disbelief…..what just happened? The shuttle had been so successful, so safe, nothing like this ever happened. Still brings tears to my eyes all these years later

[@hotlavatube]

My uncle worked for some NASA subcontractor, RocketDyne I think. His claim to fame was not signing off on some part for Challenger. I gather everyone got grilled over the Challenger disaster, even folks down at his level. At least he could claim he hadn't approved some part that on the doomed flight.

[@A_Ducky]

He can sleep easy. Those who refused to listen to engineers can't, I hope.

[@donnicholas7552]

I was at work, when this happened .At the time, everybody thought the astronauts were instantly killed. They were alive, until they hit the water. RIP Challenger Crew

[@LittleKitty22]

Yes I remember all the news reports saying the crew has been instantly turned to dust that was now forever floating around space. Didn't know until now that they survived for a while, and that their remains were recovered. It's all so incredibly sad!

[@obfuscatethecode5696]

Yeah I was in elementary school and we watched it live and I always thought they died in the explosion. I just learned - today- that they did not. 😱😱

[@Astro95Media]

@@LittleKitty22 Evidence in the cabin indicated that at least four of the seven survived the break-up of the vehicle, as their emergency packs had been activated. Though it's highly likely that all seven were still alive. However, they would've been incapacitated within seconds, as the cabin depressurized and they would've been hypoxic almost immediately. They never knew what hit them, even as they lived through the two-minute fall to the water. As I recall, all seven bodies were found inside the cabin a few weeks after the disaster.

[@LittleKitty22]

@@Astro95Media Wow, thank you for this info. As sad as it all is, at least they weren't conscious as they were hurtling towards the water. I'm glad though that they recovered the bodies, so the crew got a proper burial and the families got closure.

[@Astro95Media]

@@LittleKitty22 Indeed. All seven were properly laid to rest by their families in the spring of 1986, be in by burial or spreading of ashes. The remains at Arlington National Cemetery are unidentified remains from the crew which were buried together.

[@TheCalico72]

I remember this day vividly. I was at work so I didn't see the launch as it happened live, but when word started going around about what had happened, I was stunned, and then I thought of my 2 daughters at school. Both had been excited at breakfast because their classes would be watching the launch. My 6 year old's teacher had had the children make a special craft the week before. Their projects would sit on their desks during the event. I can still see the tears on my little girl's face as she came to the car at the end of the school day, carrying her little rocket ship. My 12 year old had been learning about space exploration in the days leading up to the launch. She, too, was affected by the outcome. It was a sad, strange day.

[@michelebowen4263]

I will never forget this day. Sitting in the lounge area at Bennett Hall at Oklahoma State University, watching live. Such silence. I remember calling mom that evening. She was an oil refinery mechanic and she said the second she saw the explosion on the news, she knew it was an O ring. She was saying this WAY before the foundings were made public. I was so proud of her. I was so sad for all the children who saw the explosion and knew that it meant death. Rough day

[@AvyScottandFlower]

I still remember that day.. The old couple (parents of the female teacher turned astronaut) looking up at the sky.. And realizing what had just happened That for me was the heart-breaking moment.

[@zuitsuit80]

I remember it well. Netflix has a good series with an abundance of insight from the surviving understudy teacher who trained with all of them. Fun fact: “Ralphie” from “A Christmas Story” was supposed to go on a children’s space mission that was quickly cancelled.

[@Mike-qz4by]

You probably enjoyed netflixs Cuties too

[@zuitsuit80]

@@Mike-qz4by I don’t understand your intentions with that comment.

[@pat_mcg4524]

big bird was proposed to be on the challenger space shuttle, it never got approved tho

[@ExperimentIV]

I’ve watched a lot of videos about the Challenger disaster, and they all just remind me how scary go fever can be, even when the consequences can be less fire. Look at the STS-27 mission - we could have had a Columbia disaster in 1988, which would have almost definitely killed the shuttle programme for good.

[@ravennevermore853]

I was one of those kids who watched it live in the Library of our elementary school. This and 9/11 are events I remember very clearly where I was when it was happening. Sad stuff, all incredible people. Also kudos to the engineers who tried so hard to get management to listen, but they wouldn't.

[@zerocooler7]

This was so sad, and the real tragedy is that it was preventable. I was in elementary school when this happened. I did not get to see it live, but right after it happened they did wheel in a TV into the classroom so we could watch the news and see what had happened. In the years since I learned more about this, including how they survived the explosion only to die on impact with the ocean and also about the cold affecting the o-rings. If only someone had listened to the engineers warning them that this event could happen, maybe things would have been different and 7 lives would not have been lost.

[@doubleecho1980]

I was in kindergarten when this happened. One of my earliest memories is during nap time on this day, my teachers were crying and I had no idea why. I came home and my mom told me the space shuttle had blown up. Being 6, I had no way to fathom what happened but I remember those moments clearly.

[@nogardgaming7447]

i learned something today. i never knew the crew survived the explosion only to die in the fall. Thank you for your wonderful videos and great content. i love real world stuff and learn so much when i can view it this way.

[@Rubbernecker]

Thank you for making this video. As a lifelong Floridian and Space Coast resident, that day is burned in my memory and still brings me to tears.

[@royalmichaels1289]

I was in 4th grade history class when a teacher rushed in with a rolling tv and told us we needed to stop everything and watch the news.(This had never happened before and would never happen again during my school years). Of course we had all heard about the teacher who was going out into space. It was a huge event! It happened so quickly... everyone just froze in shock and horror... because what else was there to do? I cant even explain the energy. Our teachers, male and female had tears running down their cheeks. Most of my classmates cried as we tried to understand and grasp this tragedy that adults couldnt even yet comprehend. This is the first national news story that i remember. It has stayed with me. I can still see, hear and feel it all as if it were yesterday. Thank you so much for remembering the brave souls lost in this tragic event. I only hope they realized that they were already heroes to us and always will be. RIP

[@squishy8758]

I didn't know they survived the explosion to die in the impact. That's shocking and horrible.

[@kaileim970]

I remember this. We were all watching the launch at work because it was historic. What a horrific moment when it exploded and went in different directions. RIP

[@RainerAppel]

Wowww 😯 Feynman seems to had his fingers in everything! 👍 We used his physics lecture books in undergrad studies, which revealed that he had his own very peculiar style of teaching. 💡 Obviously he also had his own distinctive style of investigation. Honor where credit is due! 🏆

[@littlemisstentoes]

Every single one of the lives lost was a tragedy but especially the teacher. That was just so awful. I'm thankful to Feynman for going against the crowd and doing all that he could to research the situation.

[@aaronhogan2371]

Fascinating Horror and Plainly Difficult need a collaboration.

[@wirhannah]

Seconding this.

[@grmpEqweer]

That would be fascinating and difficult. 😁👍

[@csp.9203]

Plainly Fascinating and Horrible Difficulty

[@Cheriwrites75]

I'll never forget watching this on TV in my classroom. The silence after the explosion was palpable. We just couldn't believe what we were seeing. Then our teacher hurriedly shut off the TV. Nobody knew what to say.

[@pocketscarf]

I'm just a few years too young to have been around for this, but I remember my dad telling me about it. He spoke of it as one of those "you remember exactly where you were as you heard the news" type days. He said that, though he'd been out of school for about a decade at that point, he recalled that one of his high school teachers had been in the running for the teacher in space thing (My dad claims his teacher was second in line, but I know for a fact *he* was not Barbara Morgan, or any of the other finalists, but he was indeed on the list of candidates). But he remembers reading an article about how his old teacher had hoped to still use the launch as a teaching moment, and had to leave the class because he'd felt so upset over it, and someone later found him in tears in another room. Considering he could have potentially been the one up there, and he probably knew some of these people, I don't blame the man one bit. And I just have to add, major props to Barbara Morgan for still carrying on with NASA and eventually taking part in a shuttle mission many years later. I'm glad she could accomplish that.

[@elliottprice6084]

Being only 6 at the time of this disaster, I remember it vividly, but never fully understood why it happened. I never knew that such a small malfunction caused this tragedy, and that it was completely avoidable..RIP to Challenger and her crew

[@peterf.229]

I was 8. I wondered what really happened at the 10th aniversey and read about it in the library, was 96 so internet wasn’t what it is today.

[@Goabnb94]

The teacher in space program was originally meant to be filled by Big Bird, but that was scrapped after difficulties with the suit fitting in. Imagine if that had gone ahead.

[@raeofsunshine6499]

I was 10 when this happened and the story is interesting and haunting to this day. I remember I had nightmares that night! That was a day that made us kids grow up a little bit.

[@bronwentillman8385]

I was in 3rd grade then. My teacher had managed to nab a TV for our classroom to watch. I seemed to be the only one paying attention, as I pointed to the TV and said, "Um, I don't think that was supposed to happen. " My teacher looked at the TV and hurried across the room to turn it up. We spent the rest of the morning watching the broadcast. I never forgot it. I also remember the next disaster with Columbia almost 20 years to the day later.

[@NGMonocrom]

I remember seeing the live broadcast as a child back in 1986. I also remember that it took NASA numerous years before the Public thought of the organization in high regard ever again.

[@jxchamb]

I was 9 and we all saw this happen live on the TV at school.

[@rustymustard7798]

I saw it live in person, i was 10 and it was the first launch i got to see, i was about 50 miles away at school, went outside to watch and this happened.

[@jxchamb]

@@rustymustard7798 Dang. That must have insane.

[@justhereforkicks8208]

I’ll never forget that day, I was in 3rd grade and I remember my teacher being very excited that another teacher like her was going into space. We were all lined up ready to head into the cafeteria for lunch and we were told we’d be able to watch it as we ate. As we were about to go, this little girl comes in and says something to my teacher and my teacher asked if they had the tv on and have we missed the launch? The little girl replies “Yeah , it blew up though.” My teach was stunned and says “WHAT?! NO?!” It was total silence as we made our way into the cafeteria. The cafeteria was mostly silent but you could hear people talking amongst themselves. They kept replaying the launch and explosion over and over again. Many of the teachers were all huddled together, most of them, including mine were crying. I was glued to the tv, as I ate and I don’t think my brain quite processed what I was seeing, but I understand what had happened. I don’t remember much after that. I think when I got home my mom asked how my day was and if I learned anything. I told her that I got to watch the space shuttle blow up. She turns to me with a look of sadness and says “That’s awful.” My memory goes blank from there but that particular event is burned into my memory.

[@tylerreeves9460]

My mom's teacher in highschool that year was one of the teachers they almost went with for the launch. During the time of the launch she was in that teachers class and she can remember how horrified everyone was during it and hasn't watched anything related to the disaster since then because of it making her anxious and emotional

[@shaldana]

I am still traumatized from the Challenger disaster. I was in grade 8 when it happened, in Canada at school, with the entire school (all 48 of us in a 1 room small school) watching together. Computers were newer (we had one Commodore Vic 20 to share across all 48 of us), technology was advancing wildfire and we were all so excited. ...and the entire thing exploded. I'll never EVER forget the horror of that moment. I'm 50 years old now and it's one of those moments in time I will never forget as long as I live.

[@TheMedicatedArtist]

On a more light-hearted note, Big Bird was going to be on the Challenger, not Christa McAuliffe. However, either Caroll Spinney, his puppeteer, never responded to the invitation or NASA realized Big Bird was too big to ride; the sources I found were conflicting.

[@bluecollie55_movies25]

Yeah, I head or read over the Internet a couple of times that Big Bird was supposed to be aboard Challenger. I don't remember for sure why, but at least that didn't happen, due to the shocking tragedy that happened. :~(

[@v-town1980]

After the tragedy, Big Bird suspected fowl play.

[@stephanieschreiber9611]

I think I read because having a suit made of feathers would be a spectacularly bad idea on a space shuttle. Too many fibers and stuff that could screw up the instruments.

[@ExperimentIV]

whenever me and my friends play this game that’s basically “what fact do you know that sounds like a conspiracy theory,” the fact that big bird was supposed to fly on the challenger is usually a big hit. i don’t understand how that idea ever got beyond the pitch stage because the big bird costume is like 8 feet tall, not to mention what the commenter above me said about the bits and bobs falling off the costume being extremely dangerous

[@dedchild]

@@v-town1980 and you're banned lol

[@Seabacon346]

I remember this launch being a really big deal and watching it live at school in the first grade. Shame on that agency for valuing a time schedule more than the lives on board.

[@aaroncostello8812]

Every kid in my 5th grade class watched this happen live...except me. They were all huddled around the TV cart in the library for the launch, but I was in an advanced reading class with the 6th graders at the time. I heard about it on the way back to my 5th grade class when someone came up to me and yelled, "It blew up!! It blew up!!" I will still never forget it.

[@allencarey7336]

I remember exactly where I was when this happened, we had the day off school because of ice/snow storm in NC, I was actually watching live when it happened, in my 6 year old boy mind I thought..."wow look at that cool explosion" I didn't really realize how real it was til my mom explained things better to me. I remember she had tears in her eyes which made me sad.

[@RedNightDragon1]

I was a space-obsessed 16 y/o when this happened. It was a crushing experience to watch on the news. Esp. as I was in Boston and the shuttle's teacher-on-board was from N.H.

[@kimpembleton2683]

My parents and sister were there in the grandstands as spectators & witnessed this firsthand. It really shook my dad up, as he always dreamed of seeing a space shuttle launch in person. I remember exactly where I was when that happened. 🇨🇦

[@rustymustard7798]

I was about 50 miles away watching, it was the first launch i got to see in person, i was 10.

[@tattooeddragon]

I remember this day distinctly and the attitude of “oh well,these things just happen” that followed during the investigation. Thank god for those brave enough to seek the truth and expose the laziness of those who lie.

[@michellemaroda7189]

This was covered extensively in my 6th grade science class because my teacher knew the teacher who had placed second in the competition and would have been Christa McAuliffe's replacement had she not been able to go. This was a major event that most Gen X Americans remember, but I don't know how extensively it's taught now. You mentioned the Columbia, strange how it met nearly the same end.

[@dimpsthealien333]

I was in homeroom in high school when they announced the explosion over the all classroom intercom. It wrecked us all. My uncle worked for NASA at the time. I have both of those patches that you showed in the beginning. Such a sad event. Bless those brave astronauts and the teacher.

[@nutriculi]

such a heartbreaking event. thanks for making this vid!

[@cassattack]

Was standing on my roof as a small child watching it happen in real time. Thank you for covering this. God rest their souls.

[@onetrillionballoons]

christa mccauliffe is from my area and there is a museum in her honor that allows people to basically mimic space work, from all the labor in ground control to health in the space station. we went in 6th grade on a field trip and it has stuck with me ever since! her legacy as a teacher in space has truly continued

[@somedumbozzie1539]

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman.

[@ModeofHorror]

Brilliant quote

[@somedumbozzie1539]

@@ModeofHorror For me it I sums up the human condition as individuals we are fallible and must remain a little bit humble at all times because in high energy engineering there is no room for prima donnas.

[@ModeofHorror]

@@somedumbozzie1539 Well said. We must certainly put our egos aside at times like these.

[@somedumbozzie1539]

@@ModeofHorror I have been on both ends of CPR and left mine on the other side, we are interconnected in a way that is beautiful in a way that beyond imagination. If you can truly put your ego aside in every circumstance your life becomes an adventure of unbelievable good fortune and I am not just talking about small things I was patient and polite with someone when everyone else was being rude to them. Years later out of the blue they set me up in an apartment for life for peppercorn rent.

[@LittleKitty22]

I remember watching the news reports about this, I had just turned 12. It was all over the news, on every channel. Everybody was shocked. I didn't know though that the remains of the astronauts had been recovered. At the time it was said that the entire space shuttle exploded in space and that nothing had been recovered, neither parts of the shuttle nor human remains. It left a deep impact on me, realizing that one can be alive and happy one moment and all excited about the mission, and the next moment one turns to dust that's forever floating in space. It was all so incredibly sad. Just three months later, Chernobyl happened. And the month after that I had to cope with a personal tragedy. It was a strange year.

[@PumpkinLordJames]

I actually learned a couple little details that I didn't know about before in this video. Keep it up!

[@ennds4636]

This explains so much! My decades long confusion about the nature of space craft, ie. they used to be single use, so I have always been confused when people talk about reusing them! There was a push to interest elementary school kids in space programs, so most of my knowledge comes from when I was 10 or younger. My 3rd grade class went outside to watch the launch and we saw the explosion, and they hurried us back inside and we didn't talk about it. It looked strange, but they left it to our parents to explain what happened, I guess.