The Space Shuttle Disasters

The Space Shuttle was an amazing machine, but space travel is very dangerous. Two terrible accidents happened during the shuttle program. The Challenger broke apart during launch in 1986, and the Columbia broke apart during reentry in 2003. These disasters were very sad, but they taught NASA important lessons about safety.

The Challenger Disaster

On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch. A rubber seal called an O-ring had gotten too cold and failed. Hot gas leaked out and caused the fuel tank to break apart. All seven crew members were lost. One of them was Christa McAuliffe, who was going to be the first teacher in space.

The Columbia Disaster

On February 1, 2003, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart while returning to Earth. During launch, a piece of foam had hit the wing and damaged its heat shield. When the shuttle reentered the atmosphere, hot gases got inside through the damaged area. All seven crew members were lost. After this, NASA made many safety changes.

Fun Facts

• After Challenger, NASA did not launch a shuttle for nearly three years while they made safety improvements.
• The crew of Columbia included the first Israeli astronaut, Ilan Ramon.
• The Space Shuttle program flew 135 missions in total over 30 years.

Did You Know?

Every year on January 27, NASA holds a Day of Remembrance to honor all the astronauts who have lost their lives in the pursuit of space exploration.