Friday, January 28, 2011

A Somber Anniversary: 25 Years Since Challenger

Posted By on Fri, Jan 28, 2011 at 12:00 PM

challenger.jpg

NPR:

Twenty-five years ago, an event occurred that is seared into the memory of most Americans: About a minute after liftoff, the space shuttle Challenger blew apart, killing all aboard, including teacher-astronaut Christa McAuliffe.

The day started off innocently enough. It was unusually cold in Florida that day, but NASA managers decided to attempt a launch anyway. As a subsequent investigation made clear, the cold temperature made O-rings, which were intended to contain hot gases, fail on the solid rocket boosters.

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