Liftoff Videos

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Ellison Onizuka

Portrait photograph of Ellison Onizuka

Photo: NASA / Public domain (US government work)

Ellison Onizuka (1946–1986) was an American engineer, US Air Force officer and NASA astronaut from Kealakekua, Hawaii. In January 1985 he flew on Discovery on STS-51-C, becoming the first Asian American and the first person of Japanese ancestry in space. He was a mission specialist on his second flight, Challenger STS-51-L. The shuttle broke apart 73 seconds after launch on January 28, 1986, and all seven crew members died. Schools, a space centre and a lunar crater now carry his name.

Born
24 June 1946
Died
28 January 1986
Country
United States
Flights
2: STS-51-C (1985), STS-51-L (1986)
Time in space
3 days 1 hours

Data as of 2 November 2026. Source: Wikidata (CC0). All people who have flown in space.

Events

Videos on this topic

The videos, in date order

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  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-Rings, Cold and the Overruled Warning

    Cindermap

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

    Matter & Empire

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

    CliphangerEntertainment

  13. 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-Rings, Cold and the Overruled Warning

    DocumentaryCindermap · 14:58

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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

    DocumentaryCliphangerEntertainment · 5:20

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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

    DocumentaryFilmRise Television · 46:49

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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

    DocumentaryMargin of Loss · 21:26

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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

    DocumentaryHorror Archive · 28:39

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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

    DocumentaryMatter & Empire · 21:46

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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

    DocumentaryFree Documentary – Space · 48:08

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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

    DocumentaryThe Infographics Show · 27:42

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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

    DocumentaryNational Geographic · 44:24

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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

    DocumentaryMr. Beat · 6:57

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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

    DocumentaryDocuReal · 42:24

    Mission: Challenger STS-51-L (1986)

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