STS-51-L

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Mission insignia

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Mission statistics

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Mission:STS-51-L

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Shuttle:Challenger

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Launch pad: 39-B

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Launch:January 28, 198611:38 a.m. EST (16:38 GMT)

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Landing:Scheduled for February 3, 198612:12 p.m. EST (17:12 GMT); actual occurrence:January 28, 1986 11:40 a.m. (16:40 GMT)

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Duration: 73 seconds6 d 34 min planned

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Orbit altitude: 150 nautical miles (280 km) planned, 7.6 nautical miles (14 km) achieved

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Orbit inclination: 28.5 degrees planned

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Orbits:96 planned

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Distance traveled: 18 miles (29 km)

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Events during flight: Broke apart on launch; all aboard killed

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Crew photo

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The ill-fated crew

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Front row, left to right:

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Pilot Michael J. Smith, Commander Francis "Dick" Scobee, Mission Specialist Ronald McNair

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Back row:

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Mission Specialist Ellison Onizuka, Payload Specialist Christa Corrigan McAuliffe, Mission Specialists Gregory Jarvis and Judith Resnik

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STS-51-L was the 25th launch of a Space Shuttle and the tenth launch of the Challenger. The launch resulted tragically in the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster when the vehicle exploded 73 seconds after launch on January 28, 1986, a result of the failure of an O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster (SRB). This caused a leak with a flame that caused another leak in the hydrogen tank. Among the crew was Christa McAuliffe, scheduled to be the first teacher in space. Students worldwide watched the shuttle launch and subsequent explosion on live television.

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Shuttle: The word shuttle can have several meanings. In general, it is something which travels back and forth between places in a regular and relatively frequent manner....

Challenger: Challenger may mean:...

January 28: January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 337 days remaining (338 in leap years)....

STS-51-L related Images and Photos (experimental)

Spiral Staircase at Baroque Monastery Church of Sts Peter and Paul

The Madonna and Child enthroned with Sts John the Baptist Bartholmew and Catherine

Madonna in Glory with the Christ Child and Sts Francis and Alvise with the Donor (Gozzi Altarpiece)