Space Shuttle Challenger Research Paper

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Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster The space shuttle Challenger was one of NASA’s greatest triumphs as well as NASA’s darkest tragedy’s (Howell E). The challenger was the second shuttle to reach space in April 1983 and successfully completed nine missions (Howell E). The Challengers tenth launch on January 23 1986, the shuttle exploded seconds after liftoff (Howell E). Killing all seven of the crewmember, the accident changed the NASA’s space program forever (Howell E). Some of the contributing factors for why the Challenger exploded was because the Challenger was originally intended to be a test vehicle (Howell E). The Building of the shuttle began in November 1975, then was sent to Lockheed for structural testing witch started on April 2nd…show more content…
People at NASA worried about the integrity of the seals on the solid rocket boosters in cold weather but even with those concerns the challenger launched at 11:38 A.M. Eastern time. The launch had more media attention the normal as it was caring the first teacher to go in space (Christa McAuliffe was planning to give lessons from space) but she and the rest of the crew never made it into orbit (Howell E). Challenger exploded in 73 seconds after launch. There were major malfunction just by looking at the pieces of the shuttle that fell from the sky into the Atlantic. For the next several weeks the salvage crew was recovering pieces of the shuttle and bringing up the remains of the seven astronauts (Howell…show more content…
The faulty design of the seal, as well as the unusually cold weather, let hot gases to leak through the joint (Grenne N). The Booster rocket flames were able to pass through the failed seal expanding the small hole (Greene N). The flames from the boosters then burned through the Space Shuttle Challenger’s external fuel tank and through on of the supports that attached the booster to the side of the tank (Grenne N). The booster then broke loose and collided with the tank and penetrating the tank’s side (Grenne N). Liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel from the tank and booster mixed and then ignited, causing the space shuttle to tear apart (Grenne
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