Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/space-shuttle-challenger-disaster

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the launch date?January 28, 1986
2. What is the crew complement?7 astronauts
3. What happened to the Space Shuttle Challenger on its launch day?The Challenger broke apart a few minutes after launch because the O‑rings on its solid rocket boosters didn’t seal properly in the cold weather.
4. Why did the Challenger explode?The cold temperature made the O‑rings hard, so hot gas escaped from the right solid rocket booster, causing the shuttle to break apart.

Solid Rocket Booster (SRB): Auxiliary rocket motors providing significant thrust during the initial ascent phase of the Space Shuttle.
O-ring: A toroidal (ring-shaped) mechanical seal used to prevent leakage between two mating parts.
Normalization of Deviance: A gradual process in which unacceptable risk becomes acceptable through the belief that the deviation is safe.
Rogers Commission: The official investigative body tasked with determining the cause of the Challenger disaster and recommending corrective actions.