Could the Challenger Disaster Have Been Preve...

September 20, 1187. It’s daytime outside the walls of Jerusalem. Saladin, the Sultan of Egypt, ponders his next attack. His troops encircle and lay siege to the city. They vastly outnumber the Crusader knights inside, and Saladin is on the cusp of a victory he never dreamed possi ...  Show more

On the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we're bringing you Blindspot: The Road to 9/11 – a collaboration between the History Channel and WNYC Studios. This was adapted from the complete nine-part series, which you can find by searching for Blindspot: The Road to 9/11 wherever you get yo ...  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

In January 1986, the Challenger Space Shuttle was poised to make history, carrying seven astronauts, including Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher and civilian selected for space travel. The launch was part of a decade-long effort by NASA to make flights cheaper and more frequen ...  Show more

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

The explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in January 1986 riveted millions of Americans, who watched the horrific event live on television. What they didn’t know then was that the tragedy was largely preventable, a disastrous result of hubris and “magical thinking” as much ...