What tragedy in 1986 interrupted our space program? On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after blasting off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, killing all seven astronauts on board —
What tragedy in 1986 interrupted our space program?
On Jan. 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after blasting off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, killing all seven astronauts on board — including New Hampshire educator Christa McAuliffe, a civilian who had been selected to fly via NASA’s “Teacher in Space” program.
Which space shuttle blew up in 1986?
the Challenger space shuttle
28, 1986, seven astronauts were killed when the Challenger space shuttle exploded shortly after launch. The crew of the Challenger in a 1986 photo.
Did they find the Challenger astronauts bodies?
In March 1986, the remains of the astronauts were found in the debris of the crew cabin. Though all of the important pieces of the shuttle were retrieved by the time NASA closed its Challenger investigation in 1986, most of the spacecraft remained in the Atlantic Ocean.
How big was the O ring that failed on the Challenger?
0.280 inches
This is the joint that failed on the Right Solid Rocket Booster. The joint is sealed by two rubber O-rings, with a diameter of 0.280 inches (+ 0.005, -0.003). The sealing is used to stop the gases from inside the SRB escaping. The seal had failed, because the flame seen during the flight was gas being burnt.
Why did the O ring fail?
The cause of the disaster was traced to an O-ring, a circular gasket that sealed the right rocket booster. This had failed due to the low temperature (31°F / -0.5°C) at launch time – a risk that several engineers noted, but that NASA management dismissed. Via Wikipedia and NASA.
Did Apollo 13 take 4 minutes?
According to the mission log maintained by Gene Kranz, the Apollo 13 re-entry blackout lasted around 6 minutes, beginning at 142:39 and ending at 142:45, and was 1 minute 27 seconds longer than had been predicted. Communications blackouts for re-entry are not solely confined to entry into Earth’s atmosphere.