1 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,476 [Leslie Serna] In the morning, when my dad picked me up 2 00:00:17,559 --> 00:00:19,895 to go to work at Thiokol, 3 00:00:21,630 --> 00:00:23,732 there was an air that was very heavy. 4 00:00:25,234 --> 00:00:28,737 He was a total and complete wreck. 5 00:00:30,364 --> 00:00:33,200 He said, "We're gonna have a catastrophic event. 6 00:00:33,283 --> 00:00:34,368 Catastrophic." 7 00:00:34,826 --> 00:00:38,664 And he was beating his fists on the dashboard 8 00:00:38,747 --> 00:00:40,820 and on the wheel. 9 00:00:42,668 --> 00:00:48,632 I had never seen my dad be so despondent just driving to work. 10 00:00:50,842 --> 00:00:55,550 He said, "The shuttle is going to explode." 11 00:00:59,268 --> 00:01:01,270 [theme music playing] 12 00:02:04,100 --> 00:02:06,126 Whenever you're ready, Bobby. 13 00:02:06,209 --> 00:02:08,420 [Bobby] Okay, why don't we all  gather over at the... 14 00:02:08,920 --> 00:02:11,256 [man] You gonna do different backgrounds, red and gold? 15 00:02:11,340 --> 00:02:12,507 -[Bobby] Yeah. -[man] Whatever. 16 00:02:12,591 --> 00:02:14,801 [Bobby] Scobee, we'd like to seat you right in the middle. 17 00:02:14,885 --> 00:02:15,719 [Scobee] Okay. 18 00:02:16,178 --> 00:02:18,847 [Bobby] And, Mike,  come sit right in the middle. 19 00:02:18,930 --> 00:02:21,141 What later will turn out to be the middle. 20 00:02:22,225 --> 00:02:25,187 -Okay, up on the stool there. Real tall. -Up here? 21 00:02:25,270 --> 00:02:27,230 All the shirts and the jackets and the... 22 00:02:27,314 --> 00:02:29,358 We need the jackets zipped, or you wanna leave 'em... 23 00:02:29,441 --> 00:02:31,860 [Bobby] Why don't we zip 'em up? To about right... 24 00:02:31,943 --> 00:02:32,944 [man] About half-mast. 25 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:34,696 Casual big smile... Okay. 26 00:02:34,780 --> 00:02:35,947 [camera shutter clicks] 27 00:02:37,866 --> 00:02:40,827 Christa knew that she was gonna be launching, 28 00:02:40,911 --> 00:02:43,330 and she was really, really excited about it. 29 00:02:44,247 --> 00:02:46,291 We had learned a lot about NASA, 30 00:02:46,375 --> 00:02:48,960 that everything on the mission is critical. 31 00:02:49,795 --> 00:02:53,673 Regardless of who is there to do it, it's mission-critical. 32 00:02:53,757 --> 00:02:56,930 [teacher] Visors are down for launch, up for reentry. 33 00:02:57,427 --> 00:02:59,221 That's it. We just landed. 34 00:03:00,222 --> 00:03:03,160 [anchor] Christa McAuliffe looks  every inch an astronaut these days, 35 00:03:03,100 --> 00:03:05,560 and her crewmates treat her like one of the gang. 36 00:03:05,644 --> 00:03:07,396 [Christa laughing] 37 00:03:09,231 --> 00:03:11,733 It's a six-person raft, so someone's gotta go. 38 00:03:13,260 --> 00:03:16,363 I feel very fortunate to be on flight with this crew, 39 00:03:16,446 --> 00:03:18,782 but there's a lot of difference between a payload specialist 40 00:03:18,865 --> 00:03:20,742 or a space participant and an astronaut. 41 00:03:20,826 --> 00:03:22,452 I mean, they go through years of training, 42 00:03:22,536 --> 00:03:24,996 and I've had a glimpse of a lot of the things that they've done, 43 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:28,834 but I do not understand an awful lot that goes on aboard the shuttle. 44 00:03:30,335 --> 00:03:33,964 [June Scobee Rogers] Dick asked me a lot of questions about flying with a teacher. 45 00:03:35,132 --> 00:03:37,300 "Should I tell them this is a risky business?" 46 00:03:38,343 --> 00:03:42,305 Whereas they were being told it's like a commercial aircraft. 47 00:03:43,932 --> 00:03:45,600 And I said, "By all means." 48 00:03:46,518 --> 00:03:49,438 And he told them. "It is a risk. 49 00:03:49,521 --> 00:03:53,733 This is a test vehicle. It is not an airline." 50 00:03:56,111 --> 00:03:58,321 [Barbara] Dick met with us several times. 51 00:03:58,405 --> 00:04:01,320 He talked about the technological challenges 52 00:04:01,116 --> 00:04:03,410 and how complex this is. 53 00:04:04,411 --> 00:04:08,331 He said, "You know, of all these things that can go wrong, 54 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:10,584 there are humans involved, 55 00:04:10,667 --> 00:04:16,173 and it's that humans are more likely to make errors 56 00:04:16,256 --> 00:04:18,258 than the equipment," etcetera, 57 00:04:18,341 --> 00:04:23,722 so, uh, he-- he really made sure that we under-- that we understood that. 58 00:04:27,580 --> 00:04:30,103 [woman] My father, Mike Smith, was the pilot of the Challenger. 59 00:04:30,687 --> 00:04:32,220 As the launch approached, 60 00:04:32,105 --> 00:04:35,525 we just started taking father-daughter walks together. 61 00:04:37,819 --> 00:04:40,300 And I did ask him, 62 00:04:40,113 --> 00:04:44,201 "So there's a millionth of a millionth percent chance something will go wrong?" 63 00:04:44,284 --> 00:04:49,289 And he said safety was the number-one priority for the launch, 64 00:04:49,372 --> 00:04:51,750 and I left it at that, and I just went on. 65 00:04:52,959 --> 00:04:55,860 [Jane Smith-Wolcott] Prior to the launch, 66 00:04:55,962 --> 00:04:58,340 the spouses were cleared by quarantine, 67 00:04:59,132 --> 00:05:02,928 but our children could not see their mothers or fathers. 68 00:05:03,803 --> 00:05:06,640 [man] I remember, my dad, he had snuck out of quarantine, 69 00:05:07,182 --> 00:05:09,142 coming by our house very late at night. 70 00:05:09,935 --> 00:05:13,980 And the fact that he was there was one more acknowledgment that, 71 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:15,357 you know, this is risky. 72 00:05:15,941 --> 00:05:20,529 I felt that he only did it because there is that uncertainty. 73 00:05:21,863 --> 00:05:25,659 He told me he loved me, told me to take care of, you know, 74 00:05:25,742 --> 00:05:28,870 my sister and my mom while he was gone and that he'd see me soon. 75 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,631 [instructor] You need all this. This is the equipment that's gonna fly. 76 00:05:39,714 --> 00:05:42,592 Do you wanna change anything? Wanna try it on? Feel free to. 77 00:05:44,344 --> 00:05:47,722 -[Christa] I think they're big! -[man] You'll fill them out. 78 00:06:23,383 --> 00:06:26,428 You missed it. Here's your list... 79 00:06:27,220 --> 00:06:31,516 The space shuttle Challenger is set for blast off at Cape Canaveral on Sunday. 80 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:34,561 For six of the astronauts, it's just another day's work, 81 00:06:34,644 --> 00:06:37,564 but, for the seventh, it will be a day like no other. 82 00:06:38,523 --> 00:06:41,260 [reporter] The preparation is over, the countdown has started. 83 00:06:41,109 --> 00:06:42,736 For school teacher Christa McAuliffe, 84 00:06:42,819 --> 00:06:45,905 the beginning of the adventure of a lifetime is just around the corner. 85 00:06:45,989 --> 00:06:48,199 The adrenaline's flowing. [laughing] 86 00:06:48,283 --> 00:06:49,909 It was hard sleeping last night. 87 00:06:51,911 --> 00:06:56,249 Dick and the other pilots flew their T-38s out to Kennedy Space Center. 88 00:06:57,208 --> 00:07:00,300 The civilians flew in a NASA aircraft. 89 00:07:00,860 --> 00:07:04,132 Christa and Greg Jarvis flew over with us. 90 00:07:04,924 --> 00:07:06,843 The flight was fun. 91 00:07:06,926 --> 00:07:09,679 There were tables and we could sit across from each other in the tables. 92 00:07:10,180 --> 00:07:11,973 Christa sat across from me. 93 00:07:12,570 --> 00:07:16,186 We sat around joking with each other, and we joked about her tennis shoes 94 00:07:16,269 --> 00:07:18,897 versus the big Brogan boots that the pilots wore. 95 00:07:20,230 --> 00:07:24,690 But she was busy writing letters, notes to her students. 96 00:07:24,653 --> 00:07:26,196 She was a serious teacher. 97 00:07:26,279 --> 00:07:29,320 Every moment was dedicated to teaching. 98 00:07:29,950 --> 00:07:32,202 [Barbara] She had all the pressure of the media, 99 00:07:32,285 --> 00:07:34,704 all the pressure of being ready to fly, 100 00:07:34,788 --> 00:07:38,625 but she was still writing letters of recommendation 101 00:07:38,708 --> 00:07:41,860 for two of her students. 102 00:07:41,169 --> 00:07:44,547 That was Christa, you know, taking time out of everything else 103 00:07:44,631 --> 00:07:47,342 and making sure that those letters were written. 104 00:07:47,425 --> 00:07:51,680 [June] So we called her the write,  W-R-I-T-E, "the write stuff..." 105 00:07:51,763 --> 00:07:53,181 is what Christa was. 106 00:08:04,734 --> 00:08:10,615 The 51L crew landed at the shuttle landing facility at Kennedy Space Center 107 00:08:11,199 --> 00:08:15,780 where they were going to be doing last-minute training and preparations. 108 00:08:15,161 --> 00:08:18,164 We'd brought them over for a press conference before that happened. 109 00:08:18,248 --> 00:08:19,499 [moderator] Good afternoon. 110 00:08:19,582 --> 00:08:24,462 I'd like to introduce to you the commander of STS 51L, Commander Dick Scobee. 111 00:08:24,546 --> 00:08:25,755 [all cheering] 112 00:08:25,839 --> 00:08:28,717 [Scobee] As usual, it's a real pleasure to be at the Cape to come down here 113 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:31,302 and participate in something the Cape does better than anybody, 114 00:08:31,386 --> 00:08:32,804 and that's launching space vehicles. 115 00:08:32,887 --> 00:08:35,682 We expect weather like this on Sunday when we launch, 116 00:08:35,765 --> 00:08:37,767 and do the best to keep it that way if you would. 117 00:08:37,851 --> 00:08:39,728 I'd like to introduce my pilot, Mike Smith. 118 00:08:39,811 --> 00:08:42,147 [applause] 119 00:08:42,230 --> 00:08:45,775 Thanks, Dick. I'm one of the three people on board who... 120 00:08:45,859 --> 00:08:48,570 and it'll be my first time to fly. 121 00:08:48,653 --> 00:08:52,699 Christa McAuliffe and Greg Jarvis, will all-- It'll also be their first time, 122 00:08:52,782 --> 00:08:55,410 and we're just all looking forward to getting into orbit 123 00:08:55,493 --> 00:08:58,380 -and getting the secret handshake. -[crowd laughs] 124 00:08:58,121 --> 00:09:01,332 I am hoping that the affliction that Steve Hawley had 125 00:09:01,416 --> 00:09:02,959 from the 41D mission, 126 00:09:03,430 --> 00:09:06,129 mission specialist of the delays, hasn't rubbed off on me, 127 00:09:06,212 --> 00:09:09,174 and I think the guys behind me are hoping that it hasn't also. 128 00:09:09,257 --> 00:09:11,259 The mission is a great mission. 129 00:09:11,342 --> 00:09:14,220 We're looking forward to it, and I think we're ready to go fly. 130 00:09:14,304 --> 00:09:17,599 I had the privilege of being a part of the crew a couple years ago 131 00:09:17,682 --> 00:09:20,226 that made the first landing here at the Cape, 132 00:09:20,310 --> 00:09:22,187 and I intend to be a part of the crew 133 00:09:22,270 --> 00:09:24,481 to make the first return landing to the Cape. 134 00:09:24,564 --> 00:09:28,777 I'm very proud to be part of the program that NASA and Hughes have put together, 135 00:09:28,860 --> 00:09:32,655 and I'm glad to represent the Hughes Aircraft Company as payload specialist. 136 00:09:32,739 --> 00:09:38,369 I don't think any teacher has ever been more ready to have two lessons in my life. 137 00:09:38,453 --> 00:09:40,872 I've been preparing these since September, 138 00:09:40,955 --> 00:09:44,125 and I just hope everybody tunes in on day four now 139 00:09:44,209 --> 00:09:46,544 to watch the teacher teaching from space. 140 00:09:48,421 --> 00:09:50,480 [Nesbitt] After the press conference, 141 00:09:50,131 --> 00:09:53,176 one of the traditions of the crew getting ready for launch 142 00:09:53,259 --> 00:09:57,388 is going out to the beach house  out there on the Atlantic Ocean 143 00:09:57,472 --> 00:09:59,516 and spending some time with their families. 144 00:09:59,599 --> 00:10:01,590 [waves crashing] 145 00:10:01,142 --> 00:10:03,144 [seagulls crying] 146 00:10:03,853 --> 00:10:05,980 [Marcia Jarvis]  The beach house is just a funky house 147 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:09,108 way on a beach  far away from everything else. 148 00:10:09,192 --> 00:10:10,902 It's very low-key. 149 00:10:10,985 --> 00:10:14,864 It's got orange, faux-leather furniture inside, 150 00:10:14,948 --> 00:10:19,828 and a barbecue, and it's just, you know,  big windows facing the ocean. 151 00:10:23,331 --> 00:10:24,874 [camera shutter snaps] 152 00:10:24,958 --> 00:10:26,543 [June] This was a great group. 153 00:10:27,293 --> 00:10:31,890 We'd been working together, planning what we would do while we were in Florida. 154 00:10:31,673 --> 00:10:33,258 And so we were bonded. 155 00:10:33,341 --> 00:10:34,717 [camera shutter snaps] 156 00:10:35,426 --> 00:10:37,554 [June] I took pictures of each couple. 157 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:38,972 [camera shutter snaps] 158 00:10:41,432 --> 00:10:42,976 [camera shutter snaps] 159 00:10:44,185 --> 00:10:46,312 [June] Someone took a picture of me and Dick. 160 00:10:46,396 --> 00:10:48,273 He always had his arm around me, 161 00:10:48,356 --> 00:10:51,192 but I remember that day, I had my arm around him, 162 00:10:52,735 --> 00:10:57,699 which was one of the only pictures ever of us, uh, taken that way. 163 00:10:59,701 --> 00:11:01,703 Parents began coming in. 164 00:11:01,786 --> 00:11:04,539 And we got to meet everybody. 165 00:11:08,420 --> 00:11:09,586 We had the picnic and ate. 166 00:11:11,450 --> 00:11:14,132 There was kind of a family reunion. 167 00:11:18,219 --> 00:11:21,970 And then there was a quiet time. 168 00:11:22,515 --> 00:11:26,352 And Dick said, "Let's take a walk on the beach." 169 00:11:28,479 --> 00:11:29,522 It was a cool day. 170 00:11:29,606 --> 00:11:32,192 It wasn't a warm, Florida sunshine-y day. 171 00:11:33,484 --> 00:11:35,862 Dick walked as far as he could see the shuttle, 172 00:11:36,404 --> 00:11:41,367 and he looked at it and he said, "That's home away from home for a while." 173 00:11:45,204 --> 00:11:48,625 And then he turned and started singing a song. 174 00:11:50,376 --> 00:11:55,632 "For you are beautiful, and I love you more than words can say." 175 00:11:55,715 --> 00:11:59,260 And I kept hearing those words in my mind. 176 00:12:00,511 --> 00:12:02,639 It was the song "The Last Farewell." 177 00:12:04,223 --> 00:12:05,683 And it was kind of a goodbye. 178 00:12:07,310 --> 00:12:11,731 We loved each other so much. We'd been married for 26 years. 179 00:12:23,660 --> 00:12:26,370 [anchor] The countdown is underway tonight at Cape Canaveral 180 00:12:26,120 --> 00:12:28,706 toward Sunday's scheduled launch of the shuttle Challenger, 181 00:12:28,790 --> 00:12:31,876 a liftoff that will carry America's first teacher into space. 182 00:12:33,169 --> 00:12:35,213 [McDonald] I was at the Cape for the launch. 183 00:12:35,296 --> 00:12:40,510 I remember there were really no real issues that came up pending the weather, 184 00:12:40,593 --> 00:12:45,140 and the weatherman gave this briefing, saying that, in his opinion, 185 00:12:45,980 --> 00:12:48,977 there was a very high probability of rain showers during the launch window. 186 00:12:49,600 --> 00:12:52,772 So NASA management decided, and this is something they hardly ever did-- 187 00:12:52,855 --> 00:12:56,670 Usually, even if it's a bad forecast, they go ahead and press ahead, 188 00:12:56,150 --> 00:12:59,445 but in this case for some reason, they decided to scrub the launch. 189 00:12:59,529 --> 00:13:02,573 [reporter] Space agency officials  called off the launch late last night 190 00:13:02,657 --> 00:13:06,953 after air force meteorologist said they expected rain and thunderstorms 191 00:13:07,360 --> 00:13:09,497 during the entire three-hour launch window. 192 00:13:10,915 --> 00:13:13,209 [McDonald] I mean, I was really glad that they did, 193 00:13:13,293 --> 00:13:15,586 because that happened to be Super Bowl Sunday. 194 00:13:16,170 --> 00:13:18,381 [announcer] The first refrigerator to score. 195 00:13:18,464 --> 00:13:22,218 And the largest running back ever to score a touchdown. 196 00:13:22,343 --> 00:13:24,950 [McDonald] I did get to see the Super Bowl. 197 00:13:24,178 --> 00:13:27,974 But the showers they were worried about didn't come in until late that afternoon, 198 00:13:28,570 --> 00:13:31,477 so we missed a perfectly good day to launch. 199 00:13:31,561 --> 00:13:33,146 [reporter] NASA gambled and lost. 200 00:13:33,229 --> 00:13:36,691 A cold front expected to move over the Kennedy Space Center early Sunday 201 00:13:36,774 --> 00:13:41,279 didn't until about 10:30 a.m., nearly an hour after the shuttle Challenger 202 00:13:41,362 --> 00:13:42,905 was supposed to have lifted off. 203 00:13:42,989 --> 00:13:44,866 But space agency officials say 204 00:13:44,949 --> 00:13:47,910 weather should not be a problem for a Monday-morning launch. 205 00:13:47,994 --> 00:13:51,205 John Zarrella, CNN, at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 206 00:13:51,789 --> 00:13:54,830 They don't delay unless there's-- it's not perfect, 207 00:13:54,167 --> 00:13:55,585 and that's fine with me. 208 00:13:55,668 --> 00:13:59,881 I'd be much happier if it went up when everybody thought it was perfect 209 00:13:59,964 --> 00:14:02,633 than to go up on a chance basis.  [chuckles] 210 00:14:02,717 --> 00:14:04,100 [Christa laughing] 211 00:14:04,930 --> 00:14:06,554 [reporter 2]  Officially, Christa is now in quarantine, 212 00:14:06,637 --> 00:14:08,848 only allowed to see members of her family, 213 00:14:08,931 --> 00:14:11,225 and only after they have first seen a doctor. 214 00:14:11,309 --> 00:14:14,729 -Have a little bit of trepidation? -A little bit. Yeah. It's... 215 00:14:14,812 --> 00:14:17,565 As the day comes closer, I feel a little bit more of it. 216 00:14:17,648 --> 00:14:20,276 [Lisa Bristol] My mom and dad were nervous for her, 217 00:14:20,359 --> 00:14:22,737 and I was concerned for her as well. 218 00:14:22,820 --> 00:14:26,449 But we didn't wanna make a big deal out of our worry, 219 00:14:26,532 --> 00:14:29,952 because she was so excited about it. We were all excited for her. 220 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:32,538 Make sure you stay six feet away from me. I'm in quarantine. 221 00:14:32,622 --> 00:14:35,458 How does the liftoff look for Monday morning? How does the weather look? 222 00:14:35,541 --> 00:14:38,336 The front is gonna move through this area very rapidly tomorrow, 223 00:14:38,419 --> 00:14:40,922 bringing overcast clouds with a lot of rain, 224 00:14:41,500 --> 00:14:42,715 and we're expecting this to clear up Monday 225 00:14:42,799 --> 00:14:44,467 and have great weather for the launch. 226 00:14:44,550 --> 00:14:48,805 [woman] T-minus two hours, 26 minutes, 19 seconds, and counting. 227 00:14:48,888 --> 00:14:50,640 This is shuttle launch control. 228 00:14:53,601 --> 00:14:55,610 [commentator] And here we are. 229 00:14:55,144 --> 00:14:58,731 -Commander Dick Scobee, the 51L crew. -[cameras snapping] 230 00:14:58,815 --> 00:15:01,192 And a big wave to all the members of the media. 231 00:15:02,260 --> 00:15:05,238 [Harwood] So they recycled for a Monday launch attempt on the 27th, 232 00:15:05,321 --> 00:15:06,364 and I'll never forget this, 233 00:15:06,447 --> 00:15:08,533 because after the crew got put on board the shuttle... 234 00:15:08,616 --> 00:15:09,909 [radio operator] Go ahead. 235 00:15:09,992 --> 00:15:12,780 [radio operator 2] Okay, we're closing the hatch now. 236 00:15:12,161 --> 00:15:13,329 [radio operator] Copy that. 237 00:15:13,412 --> 00:15:15,164 [Harwood] As they were closing the hatch, 238 00:15:15,248 --> 00:15:19,627 they could not get the bolts to engage to lock the hatch in place. 239 00:15:19,710 --> 00:15:22,421 [commentator 2] T-minus 15 minutes and counting. 240 00:15:22,505 --> 00:15:28,219 The hatch on the Challenger continues to be a problem as we prepare for launch. 241 00:15:28,302 --> 00:15:31,139 [reporter] A handle attached  to the outside of the shuttle's hatch 242 00:15:31,222 --> 00:15:34,684 had to be unscrewed and removed before takeoff as usual. 243 00:15:34,767 --> 00:15:37,687 Today, the threads of one screw were stripped. 244 00:15:37,770 --> 00:15:40,220 [Harwood] They sent a team of technicians out to the pad 245 00:15:40,106 --> 00:15:43,151 to bring some tools out to help them fix this situation, 246 00:15:43,234 --> 00:15:47,738 and I remember you could see these guys in their van going out to the pad. 247 00:15:47,822 --> 00:15:49,574 They're going the speed limit. 248 00:15:49,657 --> 00:15:51,951 And all the time the winds are building up, you know, 249 00:15:52,340 --> 00:15:53,161 the weather's deteriorating. 250 00:15:53,244 --> 00:15:56,800 It's like, "Come on. Come on. Get out there and fix this thing." 251 00:15:56,914 --> 00:15:59,584 [McDonald] This crew came up with this huge suitcase 252 00:15:59,667 --> 00:16:01,586 full of battery-operated tools, 253 00:16:02,860 --> 00:16:04,839 because you can't use anything other than battery-operated 254 00:16:04,922 --> 00:16:06,674 once the fuel's in the tank. 255 00:16:06,757 --> 00:16:11,888 [crew member] We expect to drill out  the problem screw within about 15 minutes. 256 00:16:11,971 --> 00:16:15,224 [McDonald] The problem was  all of the batteries were dead. 257 00:16:16,225 --> 00:16:19,937 I thought, "Gee, this is more like watching a rerun of The Three Stooges 258 00:16:20,210 --> 00:16:21,939 than launching a space shuttle." 259 00:16:23,649 --> 00:16:28,112 Finally, they came back with this real high-tech aerospace tool. 260 00:16:28,779 --> 00:16:30,239 It was called a hacksaw. 261 00:16:31,616 --> 00:16:35,578 They literally started cutting this handle, 262 00:16:35,661 --> 00:16:37,830 pretty thick aluminum bar, off of there, 263 00:16:37,914 --> 00:16:40,410 and you don't do that in a few seconds. 264 00:16:40,124 --> 00:16:42,585 They used up most of the launch window. 265 00:16:43,850 --> 00:16:46,172 [crew member] The winds have been  increasing during the past hour. 266 00:16:46,255 --> 00:16:49,383 Those winds presently are no go for launch. 267 00:16:50,134 --> 00:16:52,470 We are going to scrub for today. 268 00:16:53,950 --> 00:16:56,599 We are in the process of letting the crew out of the orbiter, 269 00:16:56,682 --> 00:16:59,185 and they will go back to the crew quarters. 270 00:17:03,481 --> 00:17:07,109 [reporter] The astronauts and Christa were naturally disappointed by the delay, 271 00:17:07,193 --> 00:17:09,820 but so were thousands  who had come to witness the flight. 272 00:17:09,904 --> 00:17:11,489 I was disappointed. 273 00:17:12,365 --> 00:17:14,700 I was really mad that it didn't go off. 274 00:17:14,784 --> 00:17:18,746 I just hope we can stay till tomorrow to see it. 275 00:17:18,996 --> 00:17:21,916 [reporter 2] Those winds are expected to subside Tuesday, 276 00:17:21,999 --> 00:17:25,211 but by then,  other weather factors come into play. 277 00:17:25,294 --> 00:17:28,798 [man] Well, they're calling for temperatures well below freezing tonight. 278 00:17:28,881 --> 00:17:30,549 That does present a real problem. 279 00:17:30,633 --> 00:17:34,110 Now, the launch team will look at the forecast tonight 280 00:17:34,950 --> 00:17:38,570 and make a decision as to whether or not they'll try again for tomorrow morning. 281 00:17:40,434 --> 00:17:43,437 [Aldrich] We had a program assessment review 282 00:17:43,521 --> 00:17:46,983 where all of the program managers from all of the contractors 283 00:17:47,660 --> 00:17:49,443 and all of the centers are there...  284 00:17:49,527 --> 00:17:51,946 and we discussed everybody's flight readiness. 285 00:17:53,781 --> 00:17:56,826 Everybody was asked to go back and look at their systems 286 00:17:57,576 --> 00:18:03,400 and see what going down to 22 degrees the night before would mean. 287 00:18:03,124 --> 00:18:06,377 [phone ringing] 288 00:18:06,460 --> 00:18:12,341 I was notified by NASA about a weather situation down in Florida 289 00:18:12,425 --> 00:18:15,678 that says this may be  a cold-weather launch. 290 00:18:16,887 --> 00:18:21,309 I contacted Bob Lund, who was our vice president of engineering, 291 00:18:21,392 --> 00:18:24,687 and said, "You need to call your folks together 292 00:18:25,396 --> 00:18:30,860 and give us an assessment of anything on the solid rocket motor 293 00:18:30,943 --> 00:18:35,448 that we might be concerned of if there's gonna be a cold-weather launch. 294 00:18:36,532 --> 00:18:39,577 We're gonna have  a teleconference later today 295 00:18:39,660 --> 00:18:42,246 with whatever charts you wanna prepare 296 00:18:42,747 --> 00:18:46,830 so that we can make an assessment and report that." 297 00:18:46,167 --> 00:18:49,420 I recall quite distinctly when Bob got that phone call, 298 00:18:49,503 --> 00:18:50,838 and I said, "The O-rings." 299 00:18:51,422 --> 00:18:53,716 And there was just no question in my mind 300 00:18:53,799 --> 00:18:56,177 that that was not a good thing for the O-rings. 301 00:19:01,599 --> 00:19:03,768 [Marcia Jarvis] The night before, 302 00:19:03,851 --> 00:19:08,220 we had dinner at crew quarters with everybody. 303 00:19:08,105 --> 00:19:11,150 Wasn't like this... big farewell, 304 00:19:11,233 --> 00:19:15,279 because... the feeling was that it wasn't gonna happen. 305 00:19:16,113 --> 00:19:18,532 [June] Eventually, that night, Dick said, 306 00:19:18,616 --> 00:19:21,350 "We won't be flying tomorrow. It's too cold." 307 00:19:21,827 --> 00:19:27,541 Um, so we thought  that flight was also postponed. 308 00:19:30,211 --> 00:19:32,922 [Harwood] This is Monday night, going into the morning of the 28th. 309 00:19:33,500 --> 00:19:36,500 The cold front came in. And it was so cold in the UPI trailer, 310 00:19:36,133 --> 00:19:38,427 we had the baseboard heaters cranked full bore, 311 00:19:38,511 --> 00:19:41,597 and I was writing with a down coat on. I mean, it was freezing. 312 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,559 Arctic air has forced temperatures into the teens and below throughout the South, 313 00:19:45,643 --> 00:19:48,200 and well below freezing  in Florida's citrus groves. 314 00:19:48,104 --> 00:19:50,856 [John Zarella] CNN says, "The shuttle's not going. 315 00:19:50,940 --> 00:19:53,442 Can you guys go cover the freeze in the orange groves?" 316 00:19:54,193 --> 00:19:58,364 Orange crop in Florida was the biggest agricultural crop in the state. 317 00:19:58,447 --> 00:20:02,326 After successive freezes Christmas of '83 and January of '85, 318 00:20:02,410 --> 00:20:04,620 Florida's citrus growers needed a break... 319 00:20:11,794 --> 00:20:14,713 [Russell] We had a big, nice conference room upstairs. 320 00:20:14,797 --> 00:20:17,425 Joe Kilminster was up at the head of the table. 321 00:20:17,508 --> 00:20:20,636 Bob Ebeling was just off of the table but up toward the front. 322 00:20:21,137 --> 00:20:23,848 I sat in one of the side chairs about midway back. 323 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:28,144 [Kilminster] We had Kennedy Space Center on the line. 324 00:20:29,520 --> 00:20:31,210 [McDonald] During the teleconference, 325 00:20:31,105 --> 00:20:34,240 we were in this conference room that was actually in a trailer 326 00:20:34,108 --> 00:20:36,277 just south of the vehicle assembly building. 327 00:20:37,528 --> 00:20:39,738 There were five of us in the conference room. 328 00:20:40,406 --> 00:20:44,340 Back at the plant, the people that were most knowledgeable 329 00:20:44,118 --> 00:20:48,497 on the O-ring joint problem gave the presentation. 330 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:53,711 With charts prepared by the engineers, for the most part, handwritten. 331 00:20:56,130 --> 00:20:58,466 [Kilminster] Our engineers, they were concerned 332 00:20:58,549 --> 00:21:00,843 that the O-rings were gonna be colder 333 00:21:00,926 --> 00:21:02,887 than any we'd ever launched, 334 00:21:02,970 --> 00:21:06,640 that it might be worse this time than we've ever seen. 335 00:21:06,724 --> 00:21:10,519 [Russell] We believed the risk was higher. We didn't know how much higher. 336 00:21:10,603 --> 00:21:15,650 We didn't know at what point would be the-- the point of-- of failure, 337 00:21:15,149 --> 00:21:18,569 but we knew that it was in the-- We called "the direction of badness" 338 00:21:18,652 --> 00:21:20,529 versus the direction of goodness. 339 00:21:22,865 --> 00:21:27,328 My dad's hopes were to actually stop it. 340 00:21:27,912 --> 00:21:30,122 He didn't want them to launch. 341 00:21:30,915 --> 00:21:35,419 He felt that, "We'll tell them what's happening, and, you know, 342 00:21:35,503 --> 00:21:38,172 they'll slide it back to when it's not that cold." 343 00:21:38,881 --> 00:21:42,218 [Russell] But then Larry Mulloy in Florida came on the phone, 344 00:21:42,301 --> 00:21:45,429 and he made an argument, which basically was the fact 345 00:21:45,513 --> 00:21:47,515 that we are taking no additional risk. 346 00:21:49,642 --> 00:21:52,190 [Mulloy] The data did not support 347 00:21:52,728 --> 00:21:55,564 the recommendation that the engineers were making. 348 00:21:55,648 --> 00:21:57,441 The data was totally inconclusive. 349 00:21:58,108 --> 00:22:02,290 [McDonald] Larry Mulloy asked for Thiokol's official recommendation. 350 00:22:02,822 --> 00:22:06,283 [Kilminster] And that's when our vice president of engineering 351 00:22:06,367 --> 00:22:10,371 made the decision that we shouldn't okay the launch. 352 00:22:11,455 --> 00:22:13,832 [McDonald] Well, Larry Mulloy asked 353 00:22:13,916 --> 00:22:16,877 the Assistant Center Director for Engineering 354 00:22:16,961 --> 00:22:21,382 at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center what his position was. 355 00:22:22,466 --> 00:22:27,346 He said, "I'm appalled Morton-Thiokol can make such a recommendation." 356 00:22:28,472 --> 00:22:32,810 But he said, "I wouldn't go against the contractors' recommendation." 357 00:22:34,270 --> 00:22:37,856 At that point, the vice president of engineering said that we not launch 358 00:22:37,940 --> 00:22:40,401 below 53 degrees Fahrenheit. 359 00:22:42,403 --> 00:22:45,948 Larry Mulloy says, "Good God, Thiokol. 360 00:22:46,310 --> 00:22:48,158 When do you want me to launch, next April?" 361 00:22:48,909 --> 00:22:53,330 I was angry at them for what I considered to be an irrational decision. 362 00:22:53,998 --> 00:22:56,292 [Russell] That was an intimidating comment 363 00:22:56,375 --> 00:23:00,504 that shouldn't have been made that came out of a source of arrogance, in my view, 364 00:23:00,588 --> 00:23:03,674 that did have an impact on the spirit in that room. 365 00:23:04,300 --> 00:23:06,719 [McDonald] Normally, we're always challenged 366 00:23:06,802 --> 00:23:08,762 to prove that it's safe to launch. 367 00:23:08,846 --> 00:23:10,306 Now, all of a sudden 368 00:23:10,389 --> 00:23:14,226 I got the impression they were gonna ask us to prove that it would fail. 369 00:23:14,893 --> 00:23:16,854 And we could not do that. 370 00:23:17,855 --> 00:23:22,610 [Kilminster] At this point, our boss said, "I think we need to talk this over. 371 00:23:22,693 --> 00:23:26,196 Can we go offline and have a caucus?" And they agreed. 372 00:23:29,658 --> 00:23:31,702 [McDonald] When they went offline  with the caucus, 373 00:23:31,785 --> 00:23:34,747 I had no idea what they were discussing back in Utah. 374 00:23:36,290 --> 00:23:40,294 It was planned to be five minutes, but we were there a little over a half hour. 375 00:23:44,173 --> 00:23:47,176 [Kilminster] We were trying to look at the data 376 00:23:47,259 --> 00:23:50,804 and just make sure that it supported our decision. 377 00:23:51,597 --> 00:23:54,183 [Russell] At that point, the senior engineer, 378 00:23:54,266 --> 00:23:57,311 the expert on the O-ring erosion, 379 00:23:57,394 --> 00:23:59,938 he came over on the desk at the head of the table 380 00:24:00,220 --> 00:24:02,358 and made a very passionate plea. 381 00:24:02,441 --> 00:24:05,270 He said, "I wouldn't launch under these conditions." 382 00:24:05,569 --> 00:24:08,322 To a man, all of the engineers that were in that room 383 00:24:08,405 --> 00:24:11,742 were in agreement with the recommendation that we originally made. 384 00:24:13,494 --> 00:24:17,790 The general manager at that time finally said that he would take a poll. 385 00:24:17,873 --> 00:24:22,336 But he only polled the senior managers in the room. 386 00:24:22,419 --> 00:24:26,900 Then he polled the vice president of engineering, 387 00:24:26,173 --> 00:24:30,636 and he kind of hummed and hawed about what to do and was torn, 388 00:24:30,719 --> 00:24:33,222 and that's when the general manager said, 389 00:24:33,305 --> 00:24:37,601 "It's time to take off your engineering hat and put on your management hat." 390 00:24:39,311 --> 00:24:43,899 [Kilminster] And then our vice president of engineering made the decision that, 391 00:24:43,982 --> 00:24:46,944 in essence, agreed with what Mulloy said, 392 00:24:47,270 --> 00:24:48,904 the correlation wasn't really there, 393 00:24:49,405 --> 00:24:52,616 and that we ought to say it's okay to launch. 394 00:24:53,450 --> 00:24:55,703 And I have to tell you that I agreed with him, 395 00:24:56,328 --> 00:24:59,498 and so I supported that decision. 396 00:25:05,462 --> 00:25:07,464 [phone ringing] 397 00:25:09,633 --> 00:25:11,593 [McDonald] We went and answered the phone. 398 00:25:11,677 --> 00:25:15,681 My boss, Joe Kilminster, came on and said, 399 00:25:15,764 --> 00:25:18,851 "Even though the low temperatures are concerning," 400 00:25:19,685 --> 00:25:23,210 that "we have reassessed the data and have concluded that 401 00:25:23,105 --> 00:25:24,398 it is inconclusive," 402 00:25:24,481 --> 00:25:27,359 which was the very words that Mulloy had used, 403 00:25:27,443 --> 00:25:31,155 and that based on that, they feel it's okay to proceed 404 00:25:31,238 --> 00:25:33,240 on with the launch as planned. 405 00:25:34,950 --> 00:25:36,827 And I, frankly, was shocked. 406 00:25:36,910 --> 00:25:39,955 I couldn't understand why they could make that judgment. 407 00:25:40,622 --> 00:25:43,125 So then the Assistant Center Director said, 408 00:25:43,208 --> 00:25:46,670 "We really need that recommendation to be put in writing 409 00:25:48,297 --> 00:25:51,300 and signed by a responsible Thiokol official." 410 00:25:53,930 --> 00:25:55,387 And my immediate reaction was, 411 00:25:55,471 --> 00:26:00,350 "They aren't very comfortable with this either, and it's a CYA operation." 412 00:26:00,434 --> 00:26:03,896 If something happens, they're gonna cover their ass. 413 00:26:05,814 --> 00:26:08,484 [Russell] Joe Kilminster was the vice president of the program 414 00:26:08,567 --> 00:26:11,945 and had the authority,  and so he is the one who signed it. 415 00:26:19,661 --> 00:26:22,998 I knew how to run the fax machine, and I'm the one who sent it down. 416 00:26:23,820 --> 00:26:24,666 [high-pitched droning] 417 00:26:24,750 --> 00:26:30,589 That's the time that I wish--  I wish so badly that I'd have just said, 418 00:26:30,672 --> 00:26:33,133 "There's a dissenting view here." 419 00:26:34,426 --> 00:26:38,430 Just to let them know that this wasn't a unanimous decision, 420 00:26:39,140 --> 00:26:42,590 but that there was at least one person, if not many, 421 00:26:42,142 --> 00:26:45,646 who believed that we should stick with the original recommendation. 422 00:26:54,780 --> 00:26:56,782 [wind whistling] 423 00:26:59,785 --> 00:27:02,371 [commentator] Good morning. This is shuttle launch control. 424 00:27:02,454 --> 00:27:04,498 Filling of the shuttle Challenger's external tank 425 00:27:04,581 --> 00:27:07,292 with its flight load of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen 426 00:27:07,376 --> 00:27:09,419 was started at about 4:00 a.m. 427 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:12,214 The crew is still sleeping at this time. 428 00:27:12,297 --> 00:27:15,920 Departure for the pad, Pad B, is scheduled 429 00:27:15,175 --> 00:27:16,969 for about ten minutes of 8:00. 430 00:27:18,887 --> 00:27:23,433 Day of the launch, the Kennedy people had decided to turn all the water spigots on 431 00:27:23,517 --> 00:27:25,435 on the launch tower. 432 00:27:25,519 --> 00:27:29,815 So, when we got out to the launch pad about 5:00 in the morning, 433 00:27:29,898 --> 00:27:31,775 the whole thing was covered with ice. 434 00:27:32,734 --> 00:27:36,321 [commentator 2] These icicles are  a result of water systems on the pad 435 00:27:36,405 --> 00:27:40,701 which had to be kept running during the night in order to prevent freezing. 436 00:27:42,369 --> 00:27:44,204 [Harwood] When those engines start up, 437 00:27:44,288 --> 00:27:46,415 the ice can break off  and damage the heat shield. 438 00:27:46,498 --> 00:27:50,210 So that was a very concerning problem. We kept listening to the radio. 439 00:27:50,294 --> 00:27:53,213 We had scanners where we'd try to listen in on what's going on. 440 00:27:53,297 --> 00:27:55,799 [commentator 2]  The icicles that are a concern 441 00:27:55,883 --> 00:27:59,469 are approximately  one foot to two foot in length, 442 00:27:59,970 --> 00:28:04,933 and there are many of them all over the service structure. 443 00:28:06,590 --> 00:28:08,478 I remember I didn't sleep very much that night, 444 00:28:08,562 --> 00:28:11,356 and I actually got to the launch pad early. 445 00:28:12,357 --> 00:28:15,694 The first thing I did is I looked at the monitors, 446 00:28:15,777 --> 00:28:19,114 and I saw all these icicles hanging on the fixed service structure, 447 00:28:19,197 --> 00:28:20,282 some on the vehicle. 448 00:28:20,824 --> 00:28:24,828 And the reaction was, "They're not gonna launch this thing today. It's scrubbed." 449 00:28:25,913 --> 00:28:27,497 On the morning of the launch, 450 00:28:27,581 --> 00:28:31,251 we came in about five hours before scheduled liftoff, 451 00:28:31,335 --> 00:28:33,128 assembled the Houston crew. 452 00:28:33,211 --> 00:28:36,673 I was the lead capcom, or the lead capsule communicator. 453 00:28:37,466 --> 00:28:41,261 And I was sitting next to Dick Covey, 454 00:28:41,345 --> 00:28:46,141 who was the ascent or the launch capcom for that mission. 455 00:28:46,642 --> 00:28:51,647 [Covey] There was a lot of concern about the cold and ice. 456 00:28:51,730 --> 00:28:56,485 That was kind of hanging over us as we went through the normal routines 457 00:28:56,568 --> 00:29:00,155 of getting the crew out to the Challenger. 458 00:29:00,238 --> 00:29:02,366 [reporter] This will be the second countdown 459 00:29:02,449 --> 00:29:05,770 for what's going to be known as the teacher flight. 460 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:07,746 A lot of people around the country are going to be watching this one 461 00:29:07,829 --> 00:29:10,290 if it gets off today as they sincerely hope it does. 462 00:29:10,374 --> 00:29:12,793 [reporter 2] This Girl Scout troop from South Carolina 463 00:29:12,876 --> 00:29:17,172 raised $2,000 to see a former Girl Scout lift off into space. 464 00:29:17,255 --> 00:29:18,882 We're gonna stay and watch it get off. 465 00:29:18,966 --> 00:29:20,133 No matter what the weather. 466 00:29:20,217 --> 00:29:21,551 No matter what. 467 00:29:26,431 --> 00:29:31,610 [Billingsly] There were a series of buses, and we were driven out to the viewing pad. 468 00:29:31,144 --> 00:29:34,640 We all kind of slipped into the grandstand. 469 00:29:34,147 --> 00:29:36,775 It was so exciting. 470 00:29:36,858 --> 00:29:40,320 I remember feeling fairly close to everything. 471 00:29:40,404 --> 00:29:43,699 And we would be watching the launch with Christa's family. 472 00:29:45,284 --> 00:29:49,204 [Lisa] My parents and I, my husband, my brother, were in the stands. 473 00:29:49,287 --> 00:29:55,335 None of us had witnessed a liftoff before, so it was like a party-like atmosphere. 474 00:29:55,419 --> 00:30:00,632 [reporter] A crowd of some 500 spectators, including 18 visiting school children 475 00:30:00,716 --> 00:30:04,469 from McAuliffe's hometown of Concord, New Hampshire wait anxiously. 476 00:30:04,553 --> 00:30:06,555 Up at Christa's school in Concord, New Hampshire, 477 00:30:06,638 --> 00:30:10,600 they crowded into the cafeteria to watch the big event on television. 478 00:30:10,684 --> 00:30:12,310 We want her to hurry up and go up 479 00:30:12,394 --> 00:30:14,980 so, you know, we can find out what it's gonna be really like. 480 00:30:15,647 --> 00:30:18,233 [woman] I was in the Concord High auditorium. 481 00:30:18,316 --> 00:30:21,690 We had party hats. We had noise makers. 482 00:30:21,153 --> 00:30:23,710 We were all excited. Teachers were excited. 483 00:30:23,155 --> 00:30:25,730 The whole city of Concord was excited. 484 00:30:25,157 --> 00:30:28,410 Our teacher, Christa, was going into space. 485 00:30:28,493 --> 00:30:31,496 [commentator] The ten-member ice crew 486 00:30:31,580 --> 00:30:36,376 and six-member debris and road crew team are now on their way into the pad. 487 00:30:36,460 --> 00:30:40,380 They'll go first to inspect the tank aft dome and the shuttle engines. 488 00:30:40,464 --> 00:30:45,930 They delayed the launch. I think it was originally 9:38 in the morning. 489 00:30:45,177 --> 00:30:47,262 They delayed two hours to 11:38. 490 00:30:47,846 --> 00:30:50,807 You could see them on television, up and down the gantry, you know, 491 00:30:50,891 --> 00:30:52,684 scanning, looking for signs of ice. 492 00:30:52,768 --> 00:30:56,210 [commentator 2] The ice inspection crew continuing to take a look 493 00:30:56,104 --> 00:30:59,566 at the external tank and the orbiter. 494 00:30:59,649 --> 00:31:04,321 I called the mission evaluation room where all of the engineers 495 00:31:04,404 --> 00:31:07,740 were assembled,  supporting the control center... 496 00:31:07,157 --> 00:31:11,411 They had run calculations, and they said the ice would not hit the orbiter. 497 00:31:11,953 --> 00:31:15,207 I polled the room on whether we should go. 498 00:31:15,957 --> 00:31:18,418 Everybody at the table voted to go. 499 00:31:22,380 --> 00:31:24,132 [Harwood] It was a totally clear sky. 500 00:31:24,216 --> 00:31:28,178 You know, it was Mars to CAVU, as we used to say, "clear and visibility unlimited." 501 00:31:28,261 --> 00:31:31,140 It's an old test pilot phrase. It was just a beautiful day. 502 00:31:31,980 --> 00:31:32,224 It was just very cold. 503 00:31:32,307 --> 00:31:36,895 [woman] This is shuttle launch control, and here comes the 51L flight crew, 504 00:31:36,978 --> 00:31:40,273 boarding the elevator for the second time in two days, 505 00:31:40,357 --> 00:31:44,236 ready to depart the O&C building for the launch pad. 506 00:31:44,319 --> 00:31:47,114 [June] Dick called and said, "We are going to fly." 507 00:31:47,197 --> 00:31:49,407 I said, "There's icicles hanging everywhere." 508 00:31:49,491 --> 00:31:54,246 He said, "No, they told us they've knocked all the icicles off. We can fly." 509 00:31:54,329 --> 00:31:56,123 He said in his traditional way, 510 00:31:57,820 --> 00:32:00,127 "Honey, I'll be back in a week. Take care." 511 00:32:01,419 --> 00:32:04,965 [launch control] Big smiles today, confidently getting into the van. 512 00:32:05,480 --> 00:32:07,592 Attempt a second try at launch today. 513 00:32:08,301 --> 00:32:10,971 [Lisa] I spoke to Christa  the night before. 514 00:32:11,540 --> 00:32:14,182 She said she was a little bit nervous, had some butterflies. 515 00:32:14,975 --> 00:32:19,620 And I had asked her  about the ice and the coldness, 516 00:32:19,146 --> 00:32:21,982 and she said that she felt that they would take care of that, 517 00:32:22,650 --> 00:32:25,110 that she had full faith in NASA. 518 00:32:26,528 --> 00:32:29,447 [launch control] The closeout crew has arrived at the pad now, 519 00:32:29,573 --> 00:32:33,201 to the white room where they'll begin getting things ready for the flight crew. 520 00:32:33,285 --> 00:32:36,288 The astronaut support person will don some headgear 521 00:32:36,371 --> 00:32:39,400 and verify that the communications between the orbiter 522 00:32:39,124 --> 00:32:41,501 and the firing room are working properly. 523 00:32:43,128 --> 00:32:47,257 It'll take a few minutes for the astronaut van to get to the pad. 524 00:32:47,340 --> 00:32:50,802 Ten mile or so trip to Launch Pad B. 525 00:32:52,971 --> 00:32:55,182 [Russell] The launch had a two-hour delay, 526 00:32:55,265 --> 00:32:58,435 and so I decided to go into the conference room. 527 00:32:58,518 --> 00:33:00,687 The conference room was absolutely full, 528 00:33:00,770 --> 00:33:02,939 and I was just as nervous as I could be. 529 00:33:03,523 --> 00:33:04,900 [Leslie] My dad let me in. 530 00:33:04,983 --> 00:33:09,988 I sat in front of him, and the engineers sat in front of me. 531 00:33:10,710 --> 00:33:13,366 Dad leaned down and told me that he was 532 00:33:13,450 --> 00:33:16,995 praying and praying that this was going to work out. 533 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:20,400 [commentator] The first crew member, Commander Dick Scobee, 534 00:33:20,123 --> 00:33:21,833 now in the white room, 535 00:33:21,917 --> 00:33:26,213 taking off his jacket along with Mike Smith, who is the pilot. 536 00:33:27,422 --> 00:33:30,467 [Jane] We all went up to the roof of launch control center 537 00:33:30,926 --> 00:33:32,761 and were out watching the launch, 538 00:33:32,844 --> 00:33:36,181 and it was a beautiful, crazy cold day. 539 00:33:36,556 --> 00:33:39,392 It was just a very exciting, thrilling moment, 540 00:33:39,476 --> 00:33:44,105 finally he was gonna go do what he had planned to do. 541 00:33:45,190 --> 00:33:47,400 And we were standing together. 542 00:33:48,193 --> 00:33:51,112 [commentator] Mike Smith shaking hands with the closeout crew 543 00:33:51,196 --> 00:33:54,740 which has assisted him in getting ready. 544 00:33:54,157 --> 00:33:56,910 Everything continues to look favorable now 545 00:33:56,993 --> 00:34:02,374 for a launch of the 51L Mission at 11:38. 546 00:34:02,457 --> 00:34:06,544 [man over radio] CDR, this is LTD  on air-to-ground one. I read... 547 00:34:06,628 --> 00:34:08,922 -[man 2] All clear. Good morning. -[man 1] Good morning. 548 00:34:09,500 --> 00:34:11,910 [reporter] The teacher Christa McAuliffe 549 00:34:11,174 --> 00:34:14,344 has been handed an apple  by the closeout crew. 550 00:34:16,221 --> 00:34:20,725 [Frederick Gregory] In Houston, we would wait for the liftoff, 551 00:34:21,768 --> 00:34:25,230 and there's actually very little conversation that occurs. 552 00:34:25,313 --> 00:34:27,230 It's a time of wait. 553 00:34:27,607 --> 00:34:31,111 [commentator] The ground one  sequencer program has been initiated. 554 00:34:31,194 --> 00:34:36,116 The ground launch sequencer has started retracting the orbiter crew access arm. 555 00:34:36,199 --> 00:34:37,617 [announcer] Roger Wilco. 556 00:34:37,701 --> 00:34:39,244 [man] This is mission control Houston. 557 00:34:39,327 --> 00:34:43,164 Flight controllers have been on console here and are ready to support launch. 558 00:34:43,832 --> 00:34:46,418 [announcer] Okay, let's go for ET... pressurization. 559 00:34:46,501 --> 00:34:49,504 [commentator] The liquid hydrogen tank now at flight pressure, 560 00:34:49,588 --> 00:34:51,214 and all three engines ready to go. 561 00:34:51,298 --> 00:34:55,510 The pilot Mike Smith has cleared the caution and memory systems. 562 00:34:55,593 --> 00:34:57,887 No unexpected errors reported. 563 00:34:57,971 --> 00:35:00,980 [radio operator] Sixteen's getting ready to go airborne. 564 00:35:00,181 --> 00:35:01,391 [NASA worker] Okay, thanks. 565 00:35:01,474 --> 00:35:04,227 [commentator] The 51L Mission ready to go. 566 00:35:04,311 --> 00:35:09,232 T-minus 15 seconds. We've had a go for auto sequence start. 567 00:35:09,316 --> 00:35:11,318 [water adviser] Water should come down. 568 00:35:17,365 --> 00:35:22,329 [announcer] T-minus ten, nine, eight, seven, six... 569 00:35:22,412 --> 00:35:27,834 We have main engine start. Four, three, two, one... 570 00:35:36,468 --> 00:35:41,639 And liftoff. Liftoff of the 25th space shuttle mission. 571 00:35:42,307 --> 00:35:44,601 [cheering] 572 00:35:46,610 --> 00:35:48,605 [Billingsly] You can feel the engines, 573 00:35:48,688 --> 00:35:52,942 and it's visceral and it's happening, and it's just so euphoric. 574 00:35:53,735 --> 00:35:55,945 [announcer] And it has cleared the tower. 575 00:35:58,907 --> 00:36:01,760 Bye, Christa! Bye, crew! 576 00:36:02,350 --> 00:36:04,871 [Lisa] The launchpad looks like it's far away, 577 00:36:04,954 --> 00:36:10,502 but when the shuttle goes,  you feel it, you hear it, you see it. 578 00:36:15,715 --> 00:36:19,177 I turned to my brother and I said, "Isn't it beautiful?" 579 00:36:19,886 --> 00:36:22,305 [mission control] Mission Control, roll program. 580 00:36:22,389 --> 00:36:25,684 [Covey] Commander says, "Roll program, Houston." 581 00:36:25,767 --> 00:36:30,814 Control of the space shuttle shifts from the launch control center 582 00:36:30,897 --> 00:36:33,240 to the mission control center in Houston. 583 00:36:33,775 --> 00:36:35,680 My response... 584 00:36:35,151 --> 00:36:36,569 Roger roll, Challenger. 585 00:36:36,653 --> 00:36:40,865 That is to make sure we can hear them and that they can hear us. 586 00:36:42,700 --> 00:36:46,162 [mission control] Roll program confirmed. Challenger now heading downrange. 587 00:36:48,390 --> 00:36:50,875 Three engines running normally. Three good fuel cells. 588 00:37:03,805 --> 00:37:06,266 Normal throttle. It's at 104%. 589 00:37:11,438 --> 00:37:15,660 Engines beginning throttling down now. At 94%. 590 00:37:15,900 --> 00:37:20,196 [Leslie] In the conference room, there was a great relief. 591 00:37:21,156 --> 00:37:25,702 And my dad leaned down, and he said, "We're not done yet." 592 00:37:29,414 --> 00:37:32,500 [mission control] Engines throttling up. Every engine now at 104%. 593 00:37:32,584 --> 00:37:36,212 -Challenger, go with throttle up. -[Mike Smith] Roger, go to throttle up. 594 00:38:10,121 --> 00:38:11,956 [indistinct murmuring] 595 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:13,666 [Billingsly] We saw a flash. 596 00:38:15,460 --> 00:38:19,339 And everyone I think even kinda said, "Oh, that's the solid rocket boosters." 597 00:38:20,465 --> 00:38:22,967 We think this is what we were supposed to see. 598 00:38:26,950 --> 00:38:30,892 But then someone said there might be a problem, and this started to spread. 599 00:38:36,640 --> 00:38:39,484 [mission control] Flight controllers here, looking very carefully at the situation. 600 00:38:39,567 --> 00:38:41,569 [indistinct murmuring] 601 00:38:45,281 --> 00:38:47,367 [Lisa] My parents were very quiet. 602 00:38:55,124 --> 00:38:57,627 [mission control]  Obviously, a major malfunction. 603 00:38:59,254 --> 00:39:02,257 [Lisa] We weren't certain what we were looking at. 604 00:39:03,299 --> 00:39:06,636 But we knew it wasn't right. 605 00:39:08,179 --> 00:39:10,515 [control] We have a report from the flight dynamics officer 606 00:39:10,598 --> 00:39:11,849 that the vehicle has exploded. 607 00:39:12,517 --> 00:39:16,938 And the voice came back on the loudspeaker and said, 608 00:39:17,210 --> 00:39:18,523 "The vehicle has exploded." 609 00:39:23,690 --> 00:39:24,487 And that was it.