View source for Space Shuttle Challenger

{{Short description|Space Shuttle orbiter (1983–1986)}}
{{redirect|Challenger Spacecraft|other spacecraft called Challenger|Challenger (disambiguation)#Air and space craft}}
{{Italic title|string=Challenger}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox individual space vehicle
| name              = ''Challenger''
| image             = S83-35803 (cropped).jpg
| image_alt         = Top view of a spaceplane in space, with the horizon of Earth in the background
| caption           = ''Challenger'' in orbit in 1983, during STS-7

| type              = [[Spaceplane]]
| class             = [[Space Shuttle orbiter]]
| serial            = {{Ubl|STA-099 (1978–1979)|OV-099}}
| eponym            = {{HMS|Challenger|1858}}
| owner             = [[NASA]]
| manufacturer      = [[Rockwell International]]

| dimensions        = 
| dry_mass          = {{Convert|80600|kg}}
| communciation     = 
| power             = 
| rocket            = [[Space Shuttle]]

| first_flight_date = April 4–9, 1983
| first_flight      = [[STS-6]]
| last_flight_date  = January 28, 1986
| last_flight       = [[STS-51-L]]
| flights           = 10
| time              = 1,496 hours<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/network/news/space/129/129quicklook2.pdf|title=STS-129/ISS-ULF3 Quick-Look Data|first=William|last=Harwood|date=October 12, 2009|work=[[CBS News]]|access-date=November 30, 2009}}</ref>
| traveled         = {{Convert|41527414|km}} around [[Earth]]
| orbits            = 995 around Earth
| fate              = [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Disintegrated during launch]]
| previous          = ''[[Space Shuttle Columbia|Columbia]]''
| next              = ''[[Space Shuttle Discovery|Discovery]]''
}}
'''Space Shuttle ''Challenger''''' ('''OV-099''') was a [[Space Shuttle orbiter]] manufactured by [[Rockwell International]] and operated by [[NASA]]. Named after [[HMS Challenger (1858)|the commanding ship]] of a [[Challenger expedition|nineteenth-century scientific expedition]] that traveled the world, ''Challenger'' was the second Space Shuttle orbiter to fly into space after ''[[Space Shuttle Columbia|Columbia]]'', and launched on [[STS-6|its maiden flight]] in April 1983. It was destroyed in January 1986 soon after launch [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|in a disaster]] that killed all seven crewmembers aboard. 

Initially manufactured as a [[Test article (aerospace)|test article]] not intended for spaceflight, it was used for ground testing of the Space Shuttle orbiter's structural design. However, after NASA found that their original plan to upgrade ''[[Space Shuttle Enterprise|Enterprise]]'' for spaceflight would be more expensive than upgrading ''Challenger'', the orbiter was pressed into operational service in the [[Space Shuttle program]]. Lessons learned from the first orbital flights of ''Columbia'' led to ''Challenger''{{'}}s design possessing fewer [[Space Shuttle thermal protection system|thermal protection system]] tiles and a lighter fuselage and wings. This led to it being {{Convert|2200|lbs|kg|abbr=off}} lighter than ''Columbia'', though still {{Convert|5700|lbs|kg|abbr=off}} heavier than ''[[Space Shuttle Discovery|Discovery]]''.

During its three years of operation, ''Challenger'' was flown on ten missions in the Space Shuttle program, spending over 62 days in space and completing almost 1,000 orbits around Earth. Following its maiden flight, ''Challenger'' supplanted ''Columbia'' as the leader of the Space Shuttle fleet, being the most-flown orbiter during all three years of its operation while ''Columbia'' itself was seldom used during the same time frame. ''Challenger'' was used for numerous civilian satellite launches, such as the first [[U.S. tracking and data relay satellite|tracking and data relay satellite]], the [[Palapa|Palapa B]] communications satellites, the [[Long Duration Exposure Facility]], and the [[Earth Radiation Budget Satellite]]. It was also used as a test bed for the [[Manned Maneuvering Unit]] (MMU) and served as the platform to repair the malfunctioning [[Solar Maximum Mission|SolarMax telescope]]. In addition, three consecutive [[Spacelab]] missions were conducted with the orbiter in 1985, one of which being the [[STS-61-A|first German crewed spaceflight mission]]. Passengers carried into orbit by ''Challenger'' include the [[Sally Ride|first American female astronaut]], the [[Kathryn D. Sullivan|first American female spacewalker]], the [[Guion Bluford|first African-American astronaut]], and the [[Marc Garneau|first Canadian astronaut]].

On its tenth flight in January 1986, ''Challenger'' broke up 73 seconds after liftoff, killing the seven-member crew of [[STS-51-L]] that included [[Christa McAuliffe]], who would have been the [[Teacher in Space Project|first teacher in space]]. The [[Rogers Commission Report|Rogers Commission]] concluded that an [[O-ring]] seal in one of ''Challenger''{{'}}s [[Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster|solid rocket boosters]] failed to contain pressurized burning gas that leaked out of the booster, causing a [[Structural integrity and failure|structural failure]] of ''Challenger''{{'}}s [[Space Shuttle external tank|external tank]] and the orbiter's subsequent breakup due to [[Aerodynamics|aerodynamic forces]]. NASA's [[organizational culture]] was also scrutinized by the Rogers Commission, and the Space Shuttle program's goal of replacing the United States' [[expendable launch system]]s was cast into doubt. The loss of ''Challenger'' and its crew led to a broad rescope of the program including replacing it with ''[[Space Shuttle Endeavour|Endeavour]]'', and numerous aspects — such as [[Vandenberg Space Launch Complex 6#Space Shuttle (1972–1989)|launches from Vandenberg]], the MMU, and [[Shuttle-Centaur]] — were scrapped to improve crew safety; ''Challenger'' and ''[[Space Shuttle Atlantis|Atlantis]]'' were the only orbiters modified to conduct Shuttle-Centaur launches. The recovered remains of the orbiter are mostly buried in a [[Missile launch facility|missile silo]] located at [[Cape Canaveral Space Force Station|Cape Canaveral]] [[Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 31|LC-31]]; one piece is on display at the [[Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex]].

==History==
''Challenger'' was named after [[HMS Challenger (1858)|HMS ''Challenger'']], a British [[corvette]] that was the command ship for the [[Challenger expedition|''Challenger'' Expedition]], a pioneering global marine research expedition undertaken from 1872 through 1876.<ref name="bg">[http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/Challenger.html "Orbiter Vehicles"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203035705/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/Challenger.html |date=February 3, 2009 }}, [[Kennedy Space Center]], [[NASA]], 2000-10-03, retrieved November 7, 2007.</ref>  The [[Apollo 17]] [[Apollo Lunar Module|Lunar Module]], which landed on the Moon in 1972, was also named ''Challenger''.<ref name="bg"/>

===Construction===
[[File:Challenger 1A.jpg|thumb|upright|''Challenger'' being prepared in 1985 for its penultimate flight, [[STS-61-A]]]]
[[File:STS-51-L - Space Shuttle Challenger on the Crawler-Transporter.jpg|thumb|''Challenger'' atop a [[Crawler-transporter]], en route to the launch site for its final flight, [[STS-51-L]]]]
Because of the low production volume of orbiters, the Space Shuttle program decided to build a vehicle as a [[Test article (aerospace)|Structural Test Article]], STA-099, that could later be converted to a flight vehicle. The contract for STA-099 was awarded to North American Rockwell on July 26, 1972, and construction was completed in February 1978.<ref>{{cite web|title=NASA – Space Shuttle Overview: Challenger (OV-099)|url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/challenger-info.html|access-date=November 7, 2012|archive-date=June 11, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170611063127/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/shuttleoperations/orbiters/challenger-info.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> After STA-099's rollout, it was sent to a [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]] test site in Palmdale, where it spent over 11 months in vibration tests designed to simulate entire shuttle flights, from launch to landing.<ref name="Lardas 2012 36">{{cite book|last=Lardas|first=Mark|title=Space Shuttle Launch System: 1972–2004|year=2012|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]|pages=36}}</ref> To prevent damage during structural testing, qualification tests were performed to a [[safety factor]] of 1.2 times the design limit loads. The qualification tests were used to validate computational models, and compliance with the required 1.4 factor of safety was shown by analysis.<ref>NASA Engineering and Safety Center (2007). [http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/189071main_RP-06-108_05-173_DDT%26_E_Volume_II_(MASTER)08-07-2007_Final_%5B1%5D.pdf Design Development Test and Evaluation (DDT&E) Considerations for Safe and Reliable Human Rated Spacecraft Systems, Vol. II] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025055455/https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/189071main_RP-06-108_05-173_DDT%26_E_Volume_II_(MASTER)08-07-2007_Final_%5B1%5D.pdf |date=October 25, 2020 }}, June 14, 2007, p. 23.</ref> STA-099 was essentially a complete airframe of a Space Shuttle orbiter, with only a mockup crew module installed and [[thermal insulation]] placed on its forward fuselage.<ref>{{cite book|last=Evans|first=Ben|title=Space Shuttle Challenger: Ten Journeys Into the Unknown|year=2007|publisher=Praxis Publishing|isbn=978-0-387-46355-1|page=8}}</ref>
[[File:STS Challenger on 747 SCA.jpg|thumb|''Challenger'' being transported by [[Shuttle Carrier Aircraft]] 905, shortly before being delivered in 1982]]

NASA planned to refit the prototype orbiter [[Space Shuttle Enterprise|''Enterprise'']] (OV-101), used for flight testing, as the second operational orbiter; but ''Enterprise'' lacked most of the systems needed for flight, including a functional propulsion system, thermal insulation, a life support system, and most of the cockpit instrumentation. Modifying it for spaceflight was considered to be too difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. Since STA-099 was not as far along in the construction of its airframe, it would be easier to upgrade to a flight article. Because STA-099's qualification testing prevented damage, NASA found that rebuilding STA-099 into a flightworthy orbiter would be less expensive than refitting ''Enterprise''. Work on converting STA-099 to operational status began in January 1979, starting with the crew module (the pressurized portion of the vehicle), as the rest of the vehicle was still being used for testing by Lockheed. STA-099 returned to the Rockwell plant in November 1979, and the original, unfinished crew module was replaced with the newly constructed model. Major parts of STA-099, including the payload bay doors, body flap, wings, and vertical stabilizer, also had to be returned to their individual subcontractors for rework. By early 1981, most of these components had returned to Palmdale to be reinstalled. Work continued on the conversion until July 1982, when the new orbiter was rolled out as ''Challenger''.<ref name="Lardas 2012 36"/>

''Challenger'', as did the orbiters built after it, had fewer tiles in its [[Space Shuttle thermal protection system|Thermal Protection System]] than ''Columbia'', though it still made heavier use of the white LRSI tiles on the cabin and main fuselage than did the later orbiters. Most of the tiles on the payload bay doors, upper wing surfaces, and rear fuselage surfaces were replaced with [[DuPont]] white [[Nomex]] felt insulation. These modifications and an overall lighter structure allowed ''Challenger'' to carry 2,500&nbsp;lb (1,100&nbsp;kg) more payload than ''Columbia.'' ''Challenger''{{'}}s fuselage and wings were stronger and lighter than ''Columbia''{{'}}s.<ref name="Lardas 2012 36"/> The hatch and vertical-stabilizer tile patterns were different from those of the other orbiters. ''Challenger'' was the first orbiter to have a [[heads-up display]] (HUD) system for use in the [[Space Shuttle#Re-entry and landing|descent]] phase of a mission, and the first to feature [[Space Shuttle Main Engine#Upgrades|Phase I main engines]] rated for 104% maximum thrust.

====Construction milestones (as STA-099)====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" | Date
! style="background:#efefef;" | Milestone<ref name="NASA/KSC">{{cite web|title=Shuttle Orbiter ''Challenger'' (OV-099)|url=http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/challenger.html|publisher=NASA/KSC|access-date=November 7, 2012|archive-date=May 23, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523112035/https://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/challenger.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
| July 26, 1972
| Contract Award to [[Rockwell International|North American Rockwell]]
|-
| November 21, 1975
| Start structural assembly of crew module
|-
| June 14, 1976
| Start structural assembly of aft fuselage.
|-
| March 16, 1977
| Wings arrive at Palmdale from [[Grumman]]
|-
| September 30, 1977
| Start of Final Assembly
|-
| February 10, 1978
| Completed Final Assembly
|-
| February 14, 1978
| Rollout from Palmdale
|}

====Construction milestones (as OV-099)====
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="background:#efefef;" | Date
! style="background:#efefef;" | Milestone<ref name="NASA/KSC"/>
|-
| January 5, 1979
| Contract Award to [[Rockwell International]], Space Transportation Systems Division
|-
| January 28, 1979
| Start structural assembly of crew module
|-
| November 3, 1980
| Start of Final Assembly
|-
| October 23, 1981
| Completed Final Assembly
|-
| June 30, 1982
| Rollout from Palmdale
|-
| July 1, 1982
| Overland transport from Palmdale to Edwards
|-
| July 5, 1982
| Delivery to KSC
|-
| December 18, 1982
| Flight Readiness Firing (FRF)
|-
|January 25, 1983
|Second FRF (performed due to a hydrogen leak having occurring during the first FRF)<ref>{{cite web |date=April 6, 2013 |title=30 Years Since STS-6: The Rise of the Challenger (Part 1) |url=https://www.americaspace.com/?p=33504}}</ref>
|-
| April 4, 1983
| First Flight ([[STS-6]])
|}

===Flights and modifications===
 	
After its [[STS-6|first flight]] in April 1983, ''Challenger'' quickly became the workhorse of [[NASA]]'s [[Space Shuttle]] fleet, flying six of nine Space Shuttle [[list of space shuttle missions|missions]] in 1983 and 1984. Even when the orbiters [[Space Shuttle Discovery|''Discovery'']] and [[Space Shuttle Atlantis|''Atlantis'']] joined the fleet, ''Challenger'' flew three missions a year from 1983 to 1985. ''Challenger'', along with ''Atlantis'', was modified at [[Kennedy Space Center]] to be able to carry the [[Centaur (rocket stage)|Centaur-G]] upper stage in its payload bay. If flight [[STS-51-L]] had been successful, ''Challenger''{{'}}s next mission would have been the deployment of the [[Ulysses (spacecraft)|''Ulysses'' probe]] with the Centaur to study the polar regions of the Sun.

''Challenger'' flew the [[Sally Ride|first American woman]], [[Guion Bluford|African-American]], [[Wubbo Ockels|Dutchman]], and [[Marc Garneau|Canadian]] into space; carried three [[Spacelab]] missions; and performed the [[STS-8|first night launch and night landing]] of a Space Shuttle.

=== Final mission and destruction ===
[[File:Challenger explosion.jpg|thumb|''Challenger'' breaks apart after launch in 1986, killing all crew on board, including [[Christa McAuliffe]], a teacher with the NASA [[Teacher in Space Project]]]]
{{Main|Space Shuttle Challenger disaster}}

[[STS-51-L]] was the orbiter's tenth and final flight, initially planned to launch on January 26, 1986 (after several technical and paperwork delays). The mission attracted huge media attention, as one of the crew was a civilian schoolteacher, [[Christa McAuliffe]], who was assigned to carry out live lessons from the orbiter (as part of NASA's [[Teacher in Space Project]]). Other members would deploy the [[TDRS-B]] satellite and conduct comet observations.

''Challenger'' blasted off at 11:38 am EST on January 28, 1986. Just over a minute into the flight, a faulty booster joint opened up, leading to a flame that melted securing struts which resulted in a catastrophic structural failure and explosion of the [[External Tank]]. The resulting pressure waves and aerodynamic forces destroyed the orbiter, resulting in the loss of all of the crew.

''Challenger'' was the first Space Shuttle to be [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|destroyed]] in a mission disaster.<ref>{{cite web | last=Ware | first=Doug G. | title = Engineer who warned of 1986 Challenger disaster still racked with guilt, three decades on | date=January 28, 2016 | publisher=[[United Press International]] | url = https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2016/01/28/Engineer-who-warned-of-1986-Challenger-disaster-still-racked-with-guilt-three-decades-on/4891454032643/ | access-date=January 28, 2016}}</ref> The collected debris of the vessel is currently buried in decommissioned [[missile launch facility|missile silos]] at [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 31|Launch Complex 31]], [[Cape Canaveral Air Force Station]]. A section of the fuselage recovered from Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' can also be found at the "Forever Remembered" memorial at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Debris from the orbiter sometimes washes up on the Florida coast.<ref name="cnn">{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/TECH/9612/17/challenger.debris/index.html|title=Shuttle Challenger debris washes up on shore|access-date=November 7, 2007|publisher=[[CNN]]|year=1996}}</ref> This is collected and transported to the silos for storage. Because of its early loss, ''Challenger'' was the only Space Shuttle that never wore the NASA [[NASA insignia|"meatball" logo]], and was never modified with the MEDS "glass cockpit". The tail was never fitted with a drag chute, which was fitted to the remaining orbiters in 1992. ''Challenger'' and sister ship ''Columbia'' are the only two shuttles that never visited the Mir Space Station or the International Space Station. In September 2020 [[Netflix]] released ''[[Challenger: The Final Flight]]'', a four-part miniseries created by Steven Leckart and Glen Zipper documenting the tragedy firsthand.

=== Lawsuits ===

In March 1988 the federal government and Morton Thiokol Inc. agreed to pay $7.7 million in cash and annuities to the families of four of the seven ''Challenger'' astronauts as part of a settlement aimed at avoiding lawsuits in the nation's worst space disaster, according to government documents. Morton Thiokol, the company that manufactured the faulty solid rocket booster that caused the accident, paid 60 percent, $4,641,000. The remainder, $3,094,000, was paid by the government.<ref>{{cite news|title=Challenger Settlements Disclosed : U.S. and Rocket Maker Paid $7.7 Million to 4 Families |date=March 8, 1988 |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-03-08-mn-614-story.html |newspaper=LA Times |access-date=May 10, 2025}}</ref>

In September 1988 a federal judge dismissed two lawsuits seeking $3 billion from Space Shuttle rocket-maker Morton Thiokol Inc. by [[Roger Boisjoly]], a former company engineer who warned against the ill-fated 1986 ''Challenger'' launch.<ref>{{cite news| url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/1988/09/03/judge-dismisses-lawsuits-against-maker-of-shuttle-rocket-by-former-employee/c5b0a4c4-80a6-428e-9980-10376e9e0daf/| title = JUDGE DISMISSES LAWSUITS AGAINST MAKER OF SHUTTLE ROCKET BY FORMER EMPLOYEE - The Washington Post| newspaper = [[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

== List of missions ==
{{multiple image
| align             = center
| image1            = shuttle-challenger.jpg
| alt1              = ''Challenger'' rolls on its landing gear across a roadway and near parked cars and a few people standing around it.
| caption1          = ''Challenger'' rolls out from the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF) to the [[Vehicle Assembly Building]] (VAB) in 1983
| image2            = Space Shuttle Challenger as STA-099.jpg
| alt2              = A black and white photo shows a Shuttle-shaped object with a more metallic presentation and missing its rounded nose cone resting in a warehouse surrounded on two sides by long and square metal scaffolding.
| caption2          = ''Challenger'' served as structural test article STA-099 before being retrofitted as an orbiter
}}

<!-- Note: missions are ordered by the launch date rather than the mission number, please do not change this order -->
{{sticky header}}
{| class="wikitable sticky-header"
|-
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | #
! scope="col" width=18% style="background:#efefef;" | Date
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Designation
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Launch pad
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Landing location
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Notes
! scope="col" style="background:#efefef;" | Mission duration
|-
| align="center"| 1
| April 4, 1983
| [[STS-6]]
| [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39|LC-39A]]
| [[Edwards Air Force Base|Edwards]], Runway&nbsp;22
| Deployed [[TDRS-A]]. First [[Extra-vehicular activity|spacewalk]] during a Space Shuttle mission.
| 5 days, 00 hours, 23 minutes, 42 seconds
|-
| align="center"| 2
| June 18, 1983
| [[STS-7]]
| LC-39A
| [[Edwards Air Force Base|Edwards]], Runway&nbsp;15
| [[Sally Ride]] becomes first American woman in space. Deployed two communications satellites, including [[Anik C2]].
| 6 days, 02 hours, 23 minutes, 59 seconds
|-
| align="center"| 3
| August 30, 1983
| [[STS-8]]
| LC-39A
| [[Edwards Air Force Base|Edwards]], Runway&nbsp;22
| [[Guion Bluford]] becomes first African-American in space. First shuttle night launch and night landing. Deployed [[INSAT-1B]]. Carried 261,900 envelopes stamped to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of [[NASA]], most of which were sold to the public.<ref>[http://en.allexperts.com/q/Stamps-Philately-1610/Space-Shuttle-Challenger.htm Stamps (Philately)/Space Shuttle Challenger] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140529000547/http://en.allexperts.com/q/Stamps-Philately-1610/Space-Shuttle-Challenger.htm |date=May 29, 2014 }}</ref>
| 6 days, 01 hours, 08 minutes, 43 seconds
|-
| align="center"| 4
| February 3, 1984
| [[STS-41-B]]
| LC-39A
| [[Kennedy Space Center|Kennedy]], [[Shuttle Landing Facility|Runway&nbsp;15]]
| First untethered [[Extra-vehicular activity|spacewalk]] using the [[Manned Maneuvering Unit]]. Deployed [[Westar|WESTAR]] and [[Palapa|Palapa B-2]] communications satellites unsuccessfully (both were retrieved during [[STS-51-A]]).
| 7 days, 23 hours, 15 minutes, 55 seconds
|-
| align="center"| 5
| April 6, 1984
| [[STS-41-C]]
| LC-39A
| [[Edwards Air Force Base|Edwards]], Runway&nbsp;17
| [[Solar Maximum Mission]] service mission.
| 6 days, 23 hours, 40 minutes, 07 seconds
|-
| align="center"| 6
| October 5, 1984
| [[STS-41-G]]
| LC-39A
| [[Kennedy Space Center|Kennedy]], [[Shuttle Landing Facility|Runway&nbsp;33]]
| First mission to carry two women. [[Marc Garneau]] becomes first Canadian in space. [[Kathryn D. Sullivan]] becomes first American woman to make a [[Extra-vehicular activity|spacewalk]]. Deployed [[Earth Radiation Budget Satellite]].
| 8 days, 05 hours, 23 minutes, 33 seconds
|-
| align="center"| 7
| April 29, 1985
| [[STS-51-B]]
| LC-39A
| [[Edwards Air Force Base|Edwards]], Runway&nbsp;17
| Carried [[Spacelab]]-3.
| 7 days, 00 hours, 08 minutes, 46 seconds
|-
| align="center"| 8
| July 29, 1985
| [[STS-51-F]]
| LC-39A
| [[Edwards Air Force Base|Edwards]], Runway&nbsp;23
| Carried [[Spacelab]]-2. Only STS mission to abort after launch.
| 7 days, 22 hours, 45 minutes, 26 seconds
|-
| align="center"| 9
| October 30, 1985
| [[STS-61-A]]
| LC-39A
| [[Edwards Air Force Base|Edwards]], Runway&nbsp;17
| Carried German [[Spacelab]] D-1. [[Wubbo Ockels]] becomes the first Dutchman in space.
| 7 days, 00 hours, 44 minutes, 51 seconds
|-
| align="center"| 10
| January 28, 1986
| [[STS-51-L]]
| [[Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39|LC-39B]]
| Did not land (planned to land at [[Kennedy Space Center|Kennedy]], [[Shuttle Landing Facility|Runway&nbsp;33]]).
| First mission to have a private citizen in space ([[Christa McAuliffe]]). [[Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|Broke up]] after launch, killing all seven astronauts on board. Would have deployed [[TDRS-B]].
| 0 days, 00 hours, 01 minute, 13 seconds
|}

==Mission and tribute insignias==
<!-- Note: missions are ordered by the launch date rather than the mission number, please do not change this order -->
[[File:Space Shuttle Challenger tribute poster.jpg|center|thumb|NASA Orbiter Tribute for Space Shuttle ''Challenger''|650x650px]]
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:1em auto; text-align:center; font-size: 100%; width:100%"
!colspan=6| Mission insignia for ''Challenger'' flights
|-
|[[Image:Sts-6-patch.png|center|100x100px]]
|[[Image:Sts-7-patch.png|center|100x100px]]
|[[Image:STS-8 patch.svg|center|100x100px]]
|[[Image:Sts-41-b-patch.png|center|100x100px]]
|[[Image:STS-41-C patch.png|center|100x100px]]
|[[Image:STS-41-G patch.png|center|100x100px]] 
|-
| '''[[STS-6]]'''
| '''[[STS-7]]'''
| '''[[STS-8]]'''
| '''[[STS-41-B]]'''
| '''[[STS-41-C]]'''
| '''[[STS-41-G]]'''
|-
|[[Image:Sts-51-b-patch.png|center|100x100px]]
|[[Image:Sts-51-f-patch.png|center|100x100px]]
|[[Image:STS-61-a-patch.png|center|100x100px]]
|[[Image:STS-51-L.svg|center|100x100px]]
|[[Image:STS-61-F_patch.png|center|100x100px]]
|-
| '''[[STS-51-B]]'''
| '''[[STS-51-F]]'''
| '''[[STS-61-A]]'''
| '''[[STS-51-L]]'''
| '''[[STS-61-F]]*'''
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki> Mission canceled due to loss of ''Challenger'' on [[STS-51-L]].

==See also==
{{portal|Spaceflight|Space|1980s}}
* [[List of human spaceflights]]
* [[List of Space Shuttle crews]]
* [[List of Space Shuttle missions]]
* [[Timeline of Space Shuttle missions]]
* [[List of human spaceflights|List of human spaceflights chronologically]]
* [[Challenger flag|''Challenger'' flag]]
* [[Challenger Colles]], mountain range on [[Pluto]] named for the Space Shuttle

==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Include-NASA}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book |last = Evans |first =Ben |year =2007 |title = Space Shuttle Challenger: Ten Journeys into the Unknown|url =https://books.google.com/books?id=MQjCF8Cc7HoC|publisher=Published in association with Praxis Pub |isbn= 978-0-387-46355-1}}
* {{Cite book |last = Harris |first =Hugh |year =2014 |title = Challenger: An American Tragedy: The Inside Story from Launch Control |url =https://books.google.com/books?id=cBJ7AgAAQBAJ&pg=PP1|publisher=Open Road Media |isbn= 9781480413504 }}

==External links==
{{Commons|Space Shuttle Challenger}}
{{Space Shuttle Mission Link}}
* [https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=37646 Ronald Reagan: Address to the Nation on the Explosion of the Space Shuttle ''Challenger'']
* [http://www.spacetoday.org/SpcShtls/ChallengerExplosion1986.html Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' Explosion video]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090203035705/http://www-pao.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/resources/orbiters/Challenger.html Shuttle Orbiter ''Challenger'' (OV-99)]
* [http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/docs/rogers-commission/table-of-contents.html Rogers Commission Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808045517/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/docs/rogers-commission/table-of-contents.html |date=August 8, 2013 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060128042112/http://www.astronautix.com/craft/chaenger.htm Astronautix on ''Challenger'']
* [http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/54891/space-shuttle-challenger-a-tribute#index/0 Space Shuttle ''Challenger'': A Tribute] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110131163159/http://www.life.com/image/first/in-gallery/54891/space-shuttle-challenger-a-tribute#index/0 |date=January 31, 2011 }} – slideshow by ''[[Life (magazine)]]''
* [https://www.retroreport.org/video/major-malfunction-lessons-from-challenger/ ''Go or No Go: The Challenger Legacy''] an Emmy-winning short documentary by [[Retro Report]]
* [https://spaceflightnow.com/challenger/timeline/ ''Challenger'' Mission Videos of the Accident from Spaceflightnow.com]
* [https://archive.org/details/ChallengerAccidentandInvestigation NASA film on the accident and investigation downloadable from archive.org The Internet Archive]
* [http://sites-of-memory.de/main/gregjarvis.html Memorial to Greg Jarvis in Hermosa Beach, California at "Sites of Memory"]
* [http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/docs/rogers-commission/Appendix-F.txt Personal Observations on the Reliability of the Shuttle by R. P. Feynman] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911052800/http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/51-l/docs/rogers-commission/Appendix-F.txt |date=September 11, 2012 }}
* [https://heelspurs.com/zpics/feynman6.rm RealPlayer video of Feynman's O-Ring demonstration (low quality)]
* [http://donswaim.com/wcbs-challenger-1.mp3 CBS Radio news Bulletin Anchored by Christopher Glenn of the ''Challenger'' Disaster from  January 28, 1986], [http://donswaim.com/wcbs-challenger-2.mp3 Part 2 of CBS Radio coverage of ''Challenger'' Disaster], [http://donswaim.com/wcbs-challenger-3.mp3 Part 3 of CBS Radio News coverage of ''Challenger'' disaster], [http://donswaim.com/wcbs-challenger-4.mp3 Part 4 of CBS Radio news coverage of ''Challenger'' disaster]
* [http://www.robsv.com/cape/c31.html Image of silo storing ''Challenger'' debris]
* [http://www.spaceshuttlememorial.com Space Shuttle Memorial covering both Space Shuttle disasters]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnmSdVbgQ4M Space Shuttle ''Challenger'' STS-51L Accident Investigation]

{{Space Shuttle Challenger}}
{{STS-51L}}
{{Space Shuttle}}
{{Space Shuttles}}
{{NASA space program}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Crewed spacecraft|Challenger]]
[[Category:Space Shuttle orbiters|Challenger]]
[[Category:Space Shuttle Challenger disaster|*]]
[[Category:Destroyed spacecraft]]
[[Category:Individual rockets]]
[[Category:Individual aircraft]]