Forty years ago, the Space Shuttle Challenger launched from Kennedy Space Center after nearly a year of repeated delays. Just 73 seconds after takeoff, the shuttle broke apart, killing all seven crew members aboard. The cause of the disaster was the failure of the primary and secondary O-ring seals in one of the rocket boosters, as record-low temperatures on the morning of the launch had stiffened the rubber O-rings, reducing their ability to seal the joints. The boosters were built by Utah-base

33 years ago today, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members, while millions of people all over the world watched the tragedy live on television. There were no survivors. ---> for powerful stories from any time like HistoryBites | HistoryBites