The tragedy of the Challenger in photos

The mission of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986 was supposed to mark a new stage in the field of space travel, but unfortunately 76 seconds after the start of the ship exploded. Each year in January, NASA celebrates the explosion of the Challenger.

30 photos via msnbc.msn.com translation

1. From joy to perdition. The first orbital flight of the American teacher. NASA Selects the role of defender of honor fell to Christa McAuliffe, a teacher of social studies at Concord High School in New Hampshire.
In this photo, McAuliffe passes by the State House of New Hampshire in Concord with her daughter Caroline and son Scott, during the parade of Lions Club July 21, 1985.





2. Preparations for Houston.
Secondary school teacher Christa McAuliffe turns his sweat suit, ready for a trip to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, September 8, 1985.



3. Preparation of the Challenger.
Space Shuttle Challenger transported in multilevel building in the NASA Space Center. Kennedy in Florida, December 17, 1985.



4. Zero Gravity. Christie feels great.
Christa McAuliffe prepare for the state of weightlessness on a specially equipped aircraft with zero gravity NASA KC-135, 13 January 1986. The machine moves according to a parabolic pattern that provides brief periods of weightlessness. For some people, these brief periods of weightlessness can cause nausea, and for this reason the device was nicknamed "gag comet."



5. At the launch platform.
Space Shuttle Challenger transported to the launch platform at the NASA Space Center. Kennedy.



6. Practice the evacuation.
The crew of the Challenger practicing evacuation procedures with the launch platform at Kennedy Space Center. On the left in the photo, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe. Directly behind them, astronauts Judy Resnik Ellison Onizuka and.



7. The team is ready to fly.
The crew of the Challenger are in White Hall on the starting platform 39B after rehearsals start. Left to right: Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judy Resnik, commander Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, pilot Michael Smith and Ellison Onizuka.



8. The course of the launch platform.
The crew of the Challenger leave his position in the Kennedy Space Center and sent to the launch platform, January 27, 1986. Commander Dick Scobee is at the head of the column, followed by Judy Resnik, Ronald McNair, Gregory Jarvis, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe and pilot Michael Smith. Because of the strong wind on the site NASA had to postpone the launch of 27 to 28 of January.



9. The first fault.
The camera on the starting platform, close-up captures the shuttle launch "Challenger" January 28, 1986. From this position, the camera can see a cloud of gray smoke in front brown letter «U» in Word United States, written on an orbital module. This was the first visible sign that the damage occurred at the junction of the carrier rocket. The researchers found that low night temperatures provoked that the flexible rubber end ring seals become rigid and inflexible. Disclaimer rings called breakthrough hot exhaust gases at the interface and entering them in the external fuel tank.



10. Start!
The camera shows a wide-angle lens with a climbing space shuttle "Challenger" January 28, 1986. In a matter of seconds after launch, the rocket in the engine compartment started the process of destruction.



11. Ice on the launch pad.
Why do denied end ring seal? On the day of launching the space shuttle "Challenger", design Space Center NASA. Kennedy in Florida covered with icicles. Most likely, the unusually cold weather caused the failure of the Rings.



12. Watching the launch.
Children watch the launch of the space shuttle "Challenger" with the starting platform 39B, January 28, 1986. Their excitement turned to horror when the shuttle exploded 73 seconds into flight. Boy in a white hat and glasses (center) is Peter Billingsley, the star of "A Christmas Carol" and a representative of the program of young cosmonauts.



13. The last seconds.
One minute after the ascent of the shuttle, the right solid fuel booster rockets bay began to ignite.



14. The tragic moment.
The explosion of the shuttle "Challenger" January 28, 1986.



15. Remains of a rocket.
After about 76 seconds, you could see fragments falling on the background of the orbital module of fire, smoke and vapors of propellant. The right compartment is solid rocket boosters still goes up.



16. Falling debris.
This photo, published a presidential commission to investigate the tragedy "Challenger", shows the scattering of the explosion fragments, January 28, 1986, by 78 seconds after the start. The upper arrow indicates the left wing of the orbiter. The central arrow shows the main engine of the orbital module and the bottom arrow shows the fuselage nose. The researchers suggest that some of the crew members of the "Challenger" probably survived the explosion and had died when falling to the ground.



17. Awareness of the tragedy.
The flight director Jay Greene examines the data in Space Center mission control them. Johnson in Texas.



18. Woe to the victims' relatives.
Family members of the teacher-astronaut Christa McAuliffe watching the tragic Challenger launch of the space shuttle. Sister Christa, Betsy (foreground) with her parents Grace and Ed Corrigan (behind).



19. The holiday is over.
Karina Dolcino, elder class in high school Concord, stunned by the news of the crash of the space shuttle Challenger. Students watched the launch on television. To celebrate a successful start, the school had planned a celebration.



20. The White House is watching.
February 3rd, 1986. President Ronald Reagan, in the center, surrounded by members of the board, looking at the television replay of the explosion of the "Challenger" in the White House. Left to right: Larry Speaks, deputy press secretary of the White House, presidential aide Dennis Thomas, special assistant Jim Kuhn, Ronald Reagan, Head of Communications at the White House, Patrick Buchanan, and Chief of Staff Donald Regan.



21. Compassion in school.
Lisa Mitten of Concord, New Hampshire, wipes tears while as her daughter Jessica reads the sad letters, which were collected in high school Concord, February 1, 1986. These were sent hundreds of letters and telegrams from all over the United States.



22. Recovery of debris.
The wreckage of the ill-fated space shuttle Challenger discharged from the Coast Guard cutter Dallas in February 1986.



23. One of the fragments of the Challenger.
For several weeks after the accident, search parties out to sea to reach the wreckage of the Challenger from the Atlantic Ocean. Court carted the debris to the Trident Basin at Cape Canaveral, where they went to the Kennedy Space Center to investigate.



24. The debris from the bottom of the ocean.
During the replacement of the mission of the space shuttle Challenger chip pick up on the deck of the ship «Stena Workhorse» off the coast of Florida.



25. Farewell to the dead.
The remains of the seven crew members of the space shuttle Challenger transported to the naval base in Dover, Delaware.



26. Memory.
President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy are standing next to his wife of astronaut Michael Smith and other members of the family during the memorial service.



27. Investigations.
Neil Armstrong, who made the first steps on the moon, was a member of the presidential commission to investigate the explosion of the Challenger. In the photo, he listens to the report of the Commission in Washington, DC February 11, 1986. In the background, another committee member - David Acheson.



28. Collect the puzzle.
A search party gathered left and right side of the space shuttle Challenger during the search operation, which lasted a month. The fire significantly damaged the right side of the shuttle. But the left-hand side, shown in this photo, escaped the fire and suffered only from fall.



29. debris washed ashore.
Some of the sunken part of the Challenger did not show on the surface for a very long time after the explosion. Tractor carries a part of the shuttle, beached beach in Florida, December 17, 1996 ... almost 11 years after its collapse.



30. Memorial Day.
Each year in January, NASA celebrates the explosion of the Challenger and other tragedies that occurred in space. In this photo, NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe lays a wreath at the Memorial in honor of the space shuttle Challenger in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia, January 28, 2003. O'Keefe also paid tribute to the three Apollo 1 astronauts who died in a fire on the launch pad 27 January 1967.



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