Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster

The Challenger Space Shuttle disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when NASA's Challenger broke apart just 73 seconds after launch. The explosion tragically killed all seven astronauts aboard. The primary cause was the failure of O-rings, rubber seals in the solid rocket boosters, which did not function properly in the cold weather. This failure allowed hot gases to escape, leading to the destruction of the shuttle. The disaster raised significant concerns about NASA's safety practices and prompted widespread changes in the agency's management and engineering processes to prevent future tragedies.