Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

E6388
disaster historical event launch failure spaceflight accident

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster was the 1986 launch failure in which NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart shortly after liftoff, killing all seven crew members and prompting major reforms in the U.S. space program.

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Observed surface forms (5)

Surface form Occurrences
Challenger disaster 4
Space Shuttle Challenger 2
Challenger STS-51-L mission 1

Statements (51)

Predicate Object
instanceOf disaster ⓘ
historical event ⓘ
launch failure ⓘ
spaceflight accident ⓘ
altitudeAtBreakup approximately 14 kilometers ⓘ
cause breach in right solid rocket booster joint ⓘ
cold weather-induced O-ring resiliency loss ⓘ
failure of solid rocket booster O-ring seals ⓘ
management and communication failures at NASA and contractor ⓘ
structural breakup of external tank ⓘ
commissionChair William P. Rogers ⓘ
commissionMember Neil A. Armstrong ⓘ
surface form: Neil Armstrong

Richard Feynman ⓘ
contractor Morton Thiokol ⓘ
country United States of America ⓘ
surface form: United States
crewMember Christa McAuliffe ⓘ
Ellison Onizuka ⓘ
Francis R. Scobee ⓘ
Gregory Jarvis ⓘ
Judith Resnik ⓘ
Michael J. Smith ⓘ
Ronald McNair ⓘ
date 1986-01-28 ⓘ
educationalImpact Teacher in Space Project cancellation ⓘ
fatalities 7 ⓘ
investigationBody Rogers Commission investigation of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
surface form: Rogers Commission
launchPad LC-39B ⓘ
launchSite Kennedy Space Center ⓘ
Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39B ⓘ
ledTo major reforms in NASA safety culture ⓘ
redesign of Space Shuttle solid rocket boosters ⓘ
suspension of Space Shuttle flights ⓘ
location Atlantic Ocean ⓘ
off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida ⓘ
mediaCoverage televised live launch ⓘ
memorial Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial ⓘ
surface form: Challenger Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery

Vietnam Veterans Memorial ⓘ
surface form: Space Mirror Memorial
missionName STS-51L ⓘ
surface form: STS-51-L
nextShuttleFlightAfterDisaster STS-26 ⓘ
notableAspect first in-flight fatal accident involving an American spacecraft ⓘ
operator NASA ⓘ
publicImpact widespread shock and national mourning in the United States ⓘ
relatedProgram NASA Space Shuttle program ⓘ
surface form: Space Shuttle program
result death of all seven crew members ⓘ
in-flight breakup of Space Shuttle Challenger ⓘ
shuttleProgramFlightPauseDuration approximately 32 months ⓘ
spaceShuttle Space Shuttle Challenger disaster self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Space Shuttle Challenger
time 11:39 EST ⓘ
timeAfterLiftoffAtBreakup 73 seconds ⓘ
vehicleType Space Shuttle orbiter ⓘ
year 1986 ⓘ

Referenced by (26)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

STS-26 → afterAccident → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Space Shuttle solid rocket booster joint → associatedWithEvent → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Christa McAuliffe → causeOfDeath → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Ellison Onizuka → causeOfDeath → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Francis R. Scobee → causeOfDeath → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Judith Resnik → causeOfDeath → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Michael J. Smith → causeOfDeath → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Ronald McNair → causeOfDeath → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Space Shuttle Challenger Memorial → commemorates → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
this entity surface form: Challenger STS-51-L mission
STS-51L → disaster → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Kutyna → investigated → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
subject surface form: Rogers Commission
Arthur C. Walker Jr. → involvedIn → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
this entity surface form: Space Shuttle Challenger disaster investigation
Morton Thiokol → involvedInAccident → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
“Mr. Feynman Goes to Washington” (Part 2) → mainSubject → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
subject surface form: "Mr. Feynman Goes to Washington" (Part 2)
NASA Space Shuttle program → notableAccident → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
this entity surface form: Challenger disaster
Space Shuttle orbiter → notableAccident → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
this entity surface form: Challenger disaster
Space Transportation System → notableAccident → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Ronald McNair → participantIn → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Columbia disaster → precededBy → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
this entity surface form: Challenger disaster
Space Shuttle Discovery → precededBy → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
this entity surface form: Space Shuttle Challenger
subject surface form: What Do You Care What Other People Think?
Columbia disaster → relatedTo → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
this entity surface form: Challenger disaster
Feynman O-ring ice water demonstration → relatedToEvent → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
Space Shuttle Challenger disaster → spaceShuttle → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Space Shuttle Challenger
Sally K. Ride → workedOn → Space Shuttle Challenger disaster ⓘ
this entity surface form: Challenger space shuttle missions