Challenger P.1 - The Start of Shuttle

On January 28, 1986, Space Shuttle Challenger exploded on ascent during its 10th mission, killing seven space travellers. In this series, we’ll explore the historical context of the disaster, the life stories of its crew, how it happened, and the ways it changed how we explore space.

In this first episode, Quinn, Chris, and Other Chris cover the origins of the Space Shuttle Program, the nearly Soviet levels of politicking and corner-cutting that went into its development, and how the institutional problems that caused the Challenger Disaster were there from the beginning.

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SOURCES:

• Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, Adam Higginbotham

• The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA, Diane Vaughan

• The Challenger Decision, T.A. Heppenheimer

• Chief Designers: Max Faget (False Steps)

FTL theme song by DJ Danarchy