STS 51

NASA

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…