NASAPress Releases
OTD 1986: STS 51 Challenger Explodes Shortly After Liftof
On this day in 1986, The Space Shuttle Challenger on STS 51 exploded at T+ 73 seconds after liftoff due to failure of a ring in the right site Solid Rocket Booster (SRB). This accident caused the loss of life of all 7 crew members on board, including the first Teacher in space.
The list of those who lost their life are,
1 Commander Francis R. Scobee
2 Pilot Michael J. Smith
3 Mission Specialist 1 Ellison S. Onizuka
4 Mission Specialist 2 Judith A. Resnik
Mission Specialist 3 Ronald E. McNair
Payload Specialist 1 Gregory B. Jarvis
Payload Specialist 2 S. Christa McAuliffe