Call Me Stormy

Why the Challenger Blew Up

Every American who lived through the 1980s remembers the Challenger Shuttle explosion that took the lives of seven crew members. Still lingering in their minds is what happened to cause the famous national tragedy? How could such a catastrophe happen when NASA so meticulously checks and double checks all the equipment at its disposal? The answers have come slowly over the years.

Shockingly, an investigation following the disaster determined that NASA had deliberately violated launch rules. Engineers had warned their superiors that it was too cold for the mission to proceed. Further evidence revealed that rubber O rings that sealed various parts of the shuttle frequently failed to perform in cold weather. Sadly, one of those engineers, Bob Ebeling, returned home after meeting with superiors and told his wife, “It’s going to blow up!”

There were many factors that influenced the launch decision, but the Rogers Commission noted that in an effort to speed launch times to meet NASA’s goals of 24 mission per year, the agency had pushed its systems and people beyond their capabilities. Weird History revisits the tragedy, revealing other incredible facts and the consequences that followed.