Liftoff Videos

Every mission, with the videos that tell it

Christa McAuliffe

Portrait photograph of Christa McAuliffe

Photo: NASA / Public domain (US government work)

Christa McAuliffe (1948–1986) was a social studies teacher from Concord, New Hampshire. NASA chose her in 1985 from more than 11,000 applicants as the first participant in its Teacher in Space Project. She trained as a payload specialist and planned to teach lessons from orbit. She flew on Challenger STS-51-L and died with her six crewmates when the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds after launch on January 28, 1986. She was 37 and never reached space. She is remembered in schools and science centres named for her.

Events

Videos on this topic

The videos, in date order

Drag, zoom or press play to watch them on this page.

  1. Challenger STS-51L: How Cold O-Rings Led to the 1986 Disaster

    Mr. Beat

  2. Challenger STS-51-L: The 73 Seconds From Liftoff to Breakup

    The Infographics Show

  3. Challenger 51-L: From Teacher in Space to the Loss of Seven Crew

    National Geographic

  4. Challenger: How a Cold-Weather O-Ring Failure Led to the Disaster

    Free Documentary – Space

  5. Challenger STS-51-L: Cold, O-Rings and the Rogers Commission

    DocuReal

  6. Challenger STS-51-L: O-Ring Failure, Cold Launch and Return to Flight

    FilmRise Television

  7. Challenger STS-51-L: The Night Engineers Said Don’t Launch

    Margin of Loss

  8. Challenger STS-51-L: The Seals, the Cold and 73 Seconds

    Horror Archive

  9. Challenger: How Thiokol’s Engineers Were Overruled the Night Before

    Hubris Engine

  10. Challenger STS-51-L: O-Ring Warnings, Cabin Evidence, Rogers Findings

    Hidden Timeline

  11. Challenger STS-51-L: O-Rings, Cold and the Overruled Warning

    Cindermap

  12. Challenger STS-51-L: The Cold O-Ring and the Launch Call

    Matter & Empire

  13. Challenger STS-51-L: The O-Ring Warning and the 73-Second Flight

    CliphangerEntertainment

  14. Space Shuttle Story in a Card Box: Enterprise, Challenger, Columbia

    The Record Institute
Play video: Space Shuttle Story in a Card Box: Enterprise, Challenger, Columbia

Space Shuttle Story in a Card Box: Enterprise, Challenger, Columbia

The Record Institute

Duration 10:37

Watch video

Dates are when each video was first published on YouTube.

All the videos

  1. Challenger: How Thiokol’s Engineers Were Overruled the Night Before

    DocumentaryHubris Engine · 9:18

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  2. Challenger STS-51-L: O-Ring Warnings, Cabin Evidence, Rogers Findings

    DocumentaryHidden Timeline · 7:14

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  3. Challenger STS-51-L: O-Rings, Cold and the Overruled Warning

    DocumentaryCindermap · 14:58

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  4. Challenger STS-51-L: The O-Ring Warning and the 73-Second Flight

    DocumentaryCliphangerEntertainment · 5:20

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  6. Challenger STS-51-L: O-Ring Failure, Cold Launch and Return to Flight

    DocumentaryFilmRise Television · 46:49

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  7. Challenger STS-51-L: The Night Engineers Said Don’t Launch

    DocumentaryMargin of Loss · 21:26

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  8. Challenger STS-51-L: The Seals, the Cold and 73 Seconds

    DocumentaryHorror Archive · 28:39

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  9. Challenger STS-51-L: The Cold O-Ring and the Launch Call

    DocumentaryMatter & Empire · 21:46

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  10. Challenger: How a Cold-Weather O-Ring Failure Led to the Disaster

    DocumentaryFree Documentary – Space · 48:08

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  11. Challenger STS-51-L: The 73 Seconds From Liftoff to Breakup

    DocumentaryThe Infographics Show · 27:42

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  12. Challenger 51-L: From Teacher in Space to the Loss of Seven Crew

    DocumentaryNational Geographic · 44:24

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  13. Challenger STS-51L: How Cold O-Rings Led to the 1986 Disaster

    DocumentaryMr. Beat · 6:57

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

  14. Challenger STS-51-L: Cold, O-Rings and the Rogers Commission

    DocumentaryDocuReal · 42:24

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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