1986 · Lockheed Space Operations Company

STS-51-L

failureSpace Shuttle Challenger / OV-099 | STS-51-L

The tenth mission for Challenger, STS-51-L was scheduled to deploy the second in a series of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, carry out the first flight of the Shuttle-Pointed Tool for Astronomy (SPARTAN-203) / Halley's Comet Experiment Deployable in order to observe Halley's Comet, and carry out several lessons from space as part of the Teacher in Space Project and Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP).

Overview

Date / time: January 28, 1986 at 04:38 PM UTC
Outcome: failure
Launch site: Launch Complex 39B
Mission: STS-51-L
Mission type: Human Exploration
Orbit achieved: Low Earth Orbit

FailureDuring the ascent phase, 73 seconds after liftoff, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic structural failure resulting in the loss of crew and vehicle. The Rogers Commission later determined the cause of the accident to have been the failure of the primary and secondary (backup) O-ring seals on Challenger's right Solid Rocket Booster.

Launch vehicle

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Launch provider

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Payloads deployed · 1

COSMOS 1728

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