Challenger Disaster | Bigger, Faster, Cheaper...

As NASA struggles to keep its ambitious launch schedule on track, engineers at contractor Morton Thiokol raise concerns about a key component of the space shuttle’s rocket boosters: O-Rings, which are designed to prevent fuel leaks. Amid this tension, the Teacher in Space program ...  Show more

In the tense hours leading up to the Challenger launch, engineers and managers at NASA and its contractor Morton Thiokol heatedly argue over whether to move forward, despite freezing temperatures that threaten to compromise the rocket boosters’ O-Rings. Be the first to know about ...  Show more

January 28, 1986. It's freezing in Central Florida, a historically cold day. That's bad news for citrus growers, and for NASA, which is scheduled to launch the Space Shuttle Challenger from Cape Canaveral this morning.Engineers have ben cautioning NASA that cold temperatures can ...  Show more

In this episode, Sharon sits down with return guest Danielle Coke to learn about the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster of 1986. This history lesson is cast from the perspective of one of America’s most cherished ordinary heroes, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, a school teacher from New ...  Show more

In 2003, seven astronauts are killed instantly when their space shuttle, Columbia, disintegrates on re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. The NASA shuttle program is grounded with immediate effect. On the International Space Station, three men - two astronauts and a cosmonaut - h ...  Show more

Was the Space Shuttle a successful program? In many ways, yes: it endured for 30 years, launched hundreds of astronauts into space, and built the International Space Station. But, according to the goals of lower costs, rapid reusability, and reliability NASA stated at its conc ...