STS-51L: Reflecting Upon the Failed Engineering of the Challenger Disaster

Author(s): Nisha Dilip Sarvjit Gill

The Challenger, a space shuttle capable of carrying people into space, returning them back to Earth safely, and doing the whole thing over again, was made to continue the exploration of the grand unknown. Having a total of nine missions completed, the shuttle was a pioneer of its kind, paving the way for future generations of shuttles to follow in its footsteps and learn from its mistakes. Like every space exploration vehicle, the Challenger had its peaks and its troughs, but it was ultimately a lack of misinformation that caused its and its crew’s tragic and heartbreaking end.

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