On the mission of STS- 51- L, Challenger broke apart just 73 …



Space Shuttle Disasters

NASA has had many successful shuttle launches, but there have been 2 shuttle disasters that have changed the space shuttle program. The first disaster was space shuttle Challenger, and the second was space shuttle Columbia.

    NASA took humans into orbit, and they also took people to the moon. The space shuttle was created after all the Apollo missions. NASA made 6 space shuttles. However, one space shuttle (Space Shuttle Enterprise) never orbited the earth. The space shuttles are Discovery, Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Endeavor, and Enterprise. The space shuttles have 3 main parts, the External Tank (ET) the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB's) and the Orbiter itself. The only people who have ever flown into space are astronauts, but soon a private citizen would fly into space. This person would be a teacher.

    In 1984, President Ronald Reagan announced that an ordinary person, not an astronaut, would fly into space. The person would be "one of America's finest, a teacher." Teachers all over the county applied to be the first teacher-in-space, however, only one person would take the flight. 40,000 applications were sent to interested teachers, only 11,000 teachers applied and filled out the application, 2 would be chosen, a backup teacher, and the one who would represent the nation’s education system in space. After all of the teachers applied, the list started narrowing down; finally they got to the top 10. The top 10 were invited to the White House, where two of them would be chosen. One of them would experience the ride of a lifetime.

    The vice president read off the name Barbara Morgan, who would be the backup for the #1 person who would fly into space. Finally the winner was chosen, and it was Concord, New Hampshire's, Christa McAuliffe. Christa McAuliffe was a mother of two and a high school teacher. Other teachers had doctorates, but McAuliffe was just a high school teacher. Christa McAuliffe loved to teach one of her famous quotes were “I touch the future… I teach.” (Hohler)

    Some astronauts thought that sending a teacher into space was risky, because they weren't trained in college to be astronauts; they were trained to be teachers. While other astronauts thought that sending a teacher would be exciting to the public and students across the country, and the world.

    The two teachers Christa McAuliffe and Barbara Morgan would have to train like an astronaut. They would be away from their families for a long period of time. They trained mostly at the Johnson Space Center. Both teachers were flown into the air, so that they could get used to what flying in the shuttle would feel like. The teachers also got to train in zero gravity, where only one of them would be. They had to get used to zero gravity so it wouldn't be too surprising when one of them got to space.

    The teachers also had to put together lesson plans that one of them would teach on the space shuttle Challenger. Christa McAuliffe's original plan was to write a journal about her experience in space. However, over time, lesson plans changed.

    While Challenger was getting ready for its flight, the crew members would still train. The space shuttle takes along time to reassemble after its mission, since it can be re- used. There are many people who help to put the space shuttle together, after it returns to earth. The people who get the shuttles ready are important, there would be no shuttle launch without them. Most of this takes place still today at the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

    Christa McAuliffe had to practice her lessons that she would teach from Challenger.

The training was complete, Challenger was ready to fly, however, January 1986 brought many cold days, and delays for the shuttle to be launched. Engineers warn NASA that on past space shuttle launches, there were small malfunctions. One rocket booster engineer thought that Challenger would end in catastrophe, even before the shuttle took off. However, NASA decides to go ahead and proceed with the launch countdown.

    Challenger's flight was to take place on January 28 1986. Millions would watch on television to see the first private citizen launched into space. Ice covered the launch pad 39-B the day of the launch. Cold temperatures were also a worry again, but nothing stopped the countdown this time.

   The crew hoped they would launch into space that day, not knowing that their mission would soon end in catastrophe, with millions witnessing it on television, and the launch viewing site at the Kennedy Space Center. Everyone would be excited to see the teacher teach her lessons from space!  The day of the launch, the crew enjoyed a nice launch breakfast.

    January 28 1986- Everything is ready, everything seems to be running normally, liftoff is about ready to take place. "Liftoff- Liftoff on the 25th space shuttle mission and it has cleared the tower!" Challenger lifted off on the icy cold morning of January 28 1986, everything was normal, things were going well. Until, just 73 seconds into flight, Challenger broke apart. Parts were flying throughout the sky and raining down. While the crew cabin began it's descent to the Atlantic Ocean, the nation became shocked, as they were watching it live. “Obviously a major malfunction” and “flight controllers looking very careful at the situation” were words that were spoken. Christa McAuliffe’s parents were also watching, and right before their very eyes the unthinkable happened. People couldn't believe that they had just seen the shuttle break apart. Roger Boisjoly, a rocket booster engineer, had warned NASA that previous shuttle missions had small malfunctions in the rocket booster. However, no one would listen to the engineer. Launch proceeded. After all, all of the other shuttle missions lasted and survived. Why wouldn't this one? The answer was that the weather was even colder.

    A parachute was seen coming down from the sky, another chance of survival some thought, but it was one of the parachutes from one of the solid rocket boosters. People knew survival on the disaster had no chance, Challenger was gone.

When everything was recovered, they found that a recorder aboard Challenger had Mike Smith’s last words “Uhhohh.” They also found that 3 of the 7 onboard Personal Egress Air Packs had been activated. This meant that some of the crew had been alive during the fall back to the ocean. Judith Resnik, Ellison Onizuka, and Mike Smith’s air packs were activated. With the placement of Mike Smith’s air pack that means that Judith Resnik or Ellison Onizuka activated it for him. The crew might have been aware of what was happening, but no one knows for sure.

Many people think that it is NASA’s fault, for not listening to its own engineers. Warnings had been given by Roger Boisjoly, saying that there could be “human loss of life.” The Challenger disaster could have been prevented by letting management listen to engineers. Today, people are more sad than mad at NASA. Helmets back then only covered the astronaut’s heads, which provided breathable oxygen for a short period of time in case there was a de-pressurization. (McBride)

Christa McAuliffe’s lessons were recovered from debris in the Atlantic Ocean. The lessons were never taught, and the teacher in space project died down, although teacher- turned- astronauts have gone to space since then, the thought of sending a private citizen into space, and Christa’s mission has never been the same. Concord High School, where Christa McAuliffe taught, was saddened for days. Some students thought that the school was never the same since their teacher Christa couldn’t return.

Christa McAuliffe’s family returned to their home in Concord, New Hampshire. However, Christa McAuliffe’s husband Steve and their children were never the same without their mom, and wife.

Ronald Reagan showed that he was saddened by the disaster, when he cancelled his state of the union address to talk from his Oval Office to a shocked nation, and students all over the world. Most of the crew’s services were private. Today, there is a memorial to the whole crew, at Arlington National Cemetery. The memorial is near Laurel Salton Clark’s grave. (Laurel Salton Clark died in the Columbia disaster.) Christa McAuliffe’s backup, Barbara Morgan, was also saddened by the death of her friend, and the person she had trained with for a long time.

The mission of Challenger continues even today, after the disaster. The Challenger crew family members came together to form the Challenger Learning Center for Space Science Education. The Challenger Learning Center get’s student interested in space, and teaches them about space. The centers also remember the Challenger crew.

Although it has almost been a quarter of a century, no one has quite forgotten the Challenger disaster, and the significant meaning behind it. In Framingham, Massachusetts, there is a Christa Corrigan McAuliffe Center.

A long time after the Challenger disaster, a piece of the space shuttle washed up on shore. The piece was confirmed to be a piece of Challenger. Today, there is some of debris of Challenger, still in the ocean. The piece was not investigated because the Challenger investigation is already over. The recovered pieces of Challenger and Columbia remain at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and are sealed.

After the Columbia accident, people wondered if the space shuttle program should still go on. Barbara Morgan never stopped her love for education. She was chosen to fly on space shuttle Endeavor. This time she would fly as a full astronaut, a mission specialist, and a teacher. Endeavor was the shuttle that replaced the Challenger.

Some NASA officials made it clear that Mrs. Morgan was an astronaut on STS- 118, not a private citizen. Mrs. Morgan went to space and back, and she retired after her flight. She currently works at Boise State University.

Today people remember the crews of Challenger, Columbia, and Apollo 1. Each year on January 29, NASA holds a day of remembrance. People remember the day of the Challenger disaster to this day. George Bush spoke at a memorial service for the Columbia crew. Some of the Columbia and Challenger crew’s are buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Behind the Challenger memorial, Laurel Salton Clark is buried.

Some of the families of the Challenger, and Columbia crew’s have gotten remarried. The Challenger families still remain founders of the Challenger Learning Center.

Barbara Morgan still lives in Idaho, and is retired from being an astronaut. Her job is now at Boise State University. She will always remain the teacher in space.

Today, some teachers in space participants have gotten higher teaching degrees, and have done that to the dedication, and memory of Christa McAuliffe. Some are superintendents, principals, and just regular teachers. Almost all of the teacher participants say that if they could get a shuttle ride, they would go, knowing that they could be continuing Christa McAuliffe’s’ mission. Some teachers also recall watching the shuttle break apart in horror. Some of the teachers say that they would never give up, no matter what kind of disaster there is.

On February 1 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart while returning to earth. Just from a piece of foam hitting the tiles on the shuttle. NASA’s engineers told NASA to take satellite pictures of the shuttle while still in orbit, but NASA declined their request. Again, many other shuttles had foam strikes and still survived, why wouldn’t Columbia? NASA had to launch other space shuttles to finish the International Space Station (ISS) on time; otherwise the government would stop funding it. Many people say both space shuttle disasters are NASA’s fault, some say it was a careless mistake. Jon McBride, a NASA astronaut, says “I don't think you can blame any person or agency for the loss. Everybody involved has to share a piece of the responsibility.” People have different opinions about the disaster.

The space shuttle Challenger will never be forgotten, and no one will ever forget the teacher’s mission for the flight. The Challenger crew maybe could have survived if the shuttle stayed normal for just 40 some more seconds.

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