Suggested Searches

STS-51L Mission Patch

STS-51L

Occurred 39 years ago

STS-51-L would have been the 25th mission of the NASA Space Shuttle program. Tragically, the Challenger and her crew were lost in an explosion 73 seconds after liftoff.  After a lengthy investigation, the cause was determined to be an o-ring failure in the right solid rocket booster aggravated by extreme cold weather in Florida before the launch.

Space Shuttle

Challenger

Mission

25th Space Shuttle Mission

Launch

January 28, 1986

Flight

10th Flight of Challenger
STS-51L Crew Back Row: Mission Specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, Payload Specialists Christa McAuliffe and Gregory B. Jarvis, Mission Specialist Judith A. Resnik, Front Row: Pilot Michael J. Smith, Commander Francis R. Scobee, Mission Specialist Ronald E. McNair.
NASA

“We will never forget them… as they… ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.’ “

President Ronald Reagan
January 28, 1986

Crew

Francis R. Scobee, Commander

Michael J. Smith, Pilot

Judith A. Resnik, Mission Specialist

Ellison S. Onizuka, Mission Specialist

Ronald E. McNair, Mission Specialist

S. Christa McAuliffe, Teacher in Space

Gregory B. Jarvis, Payload Specialist

History Resources

The Challenger STS-51L Accident

Find reports, transcripts, press releases, and other documentation about the Space Shuttle Challenger tragedy.

Learn More about The Challenger STS-51L Accident
A wreath is displayed at the Space Mirror Memorial in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor
A wreath is displayed during a NASA Day of Remembrance ceremony at the Space Mirror Memorial in the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
NASA
Featured Story

35 Years Ago: Remembering Challenger and Her Crew

The year 1986 was shaping up to be the most ambitious one yet for NASA’s Space Shuttle Program. The agency’s…

Read the Story
Featured Story

STS-51L Mission Profile

The first shuttle liftoff scheduled from Pad B, STS-51L was beset by delays. Launch was originally set for 3:43 p.m. EST,…

Read the Story