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The Challenger of 1986
was a part of the United States space shuttle system. The space
shuttle was set to depart on January 28, 1986. "It was kind
of like a joyful day for everyone, I mean everyone was waving
farewell and celebrating", said Mrs. Mullis of Brunswick
High School. There were seven crewmembers of the 1986 space shuttle
challenger. Gregory B. Jarvis was the satellite design expert,
Sharon McAuliffe as a science teacher, Ronal McNair was a physicists,
Ellison Onizuka was the test pilot and aerospace engineer, Judith
Resnik was the electrical engineer, Francis Scobee was the experienced
jet pilot and Michael Smith was the experienced aircraft pilot.
None of these seven crew members was to come next as they kissed
their family and friends goodbye. "I never really thought it could happen because most of my life NASA has done everything without failing. You sort of thought they were super humans", said Mrs. Mullis. When I asked Mrs. Mullis what really happened in her opinion she responded, "It was horrible because the teachers students and children was watching her get on, then the next thing I knew all of the astronauts were waving goodbye. Then all of a sudden, the shuttle went on launch and BLEW UP! it was horrible, really horrible", said Mrs. Mullis. The cause of the explosion was that the o-ring seals in the solid-fuel rocket on the shuttles right side. They said the seals faulty design and the cold weather affected the seals functioning which allowed some hot gases to leak through joint and then the flames burnt through the external fuel tank of the space shuttle and through the booster which broke loose. |
