Challenger (Spacecraft)

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Space Shuttle Challenger (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation OV-099) was NASA's second Space Shuttle orbiter to be put into service, after Columbia. Its maiden voyage was on April 4, 1983 and it made eight further round trips to low earth orbit before breaking up 73 seconds into the launch of its tenth mission, on January 28, 1986 killing all seven crew members. It would later be replaced by the space shuttle Endeavour, which would be launched six years after the 51-L disaster.

Challenger was constructed using a body frame (STA-099) that had initially been built as a test article. STA-099 had not been meant for spaceflight, but NASA discovered that recycling it would be cheaper than refitting the test shuttle Enterprise (OV-101) to be spaceworthy, as originally planned. The spacecraft was named after a British corvette HMS_Challenger_which carried out a pioneering global marine research expedition in the 1870s.

Challenger was one of two space shuttles destroyed in an accident during a mission, the other being Columbia. The collected debris of the vessel is currently stored in decommissioned missile silos at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. From time to time, further pieces of debris from the orbiter wash up on the Florida coast. When this happens, they are collected and transported to the silos for storage.

Archival Resources
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referencedIn 51-L SRB SEGMENTS: 51-L DENVER LEAK VISIBILITY AND MSFL HYDROGEN BURNING TEST (WITH AUDIO), 3/20/86 (30 sec. and 6:22 min.); 51-L TASK FORCE PRESENTATION-VARIOUS LAUNCH CAMERA POSITIONS, 3/21/86 (14:30 min) National Archives at College Park
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referencedIn 51-L ACCIDENT ANALYSIS BOARD, 1/30/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Color Photograph File Albums, 1963 - 1995 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 51-F, SPACELAB 2 MISSION National Archives at College Park
referencedIn 51-L CREW TRANSFER FROM KSC [KENNEDY SPACE CENTER], 4/29/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 51-F MISSION National Archives at College Park
referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #2B, 2/27/86 National Archives at College Park
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referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #6F, 3/7/86 National Archives at College Park
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referencedIn 51-E FRR (MULLOY), 2/21/85 National Archives at College Park
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referencedIn Bridges, Roy D. (Roy Dunbard), 1943-. Roy D. Bridges, Jr., papers, 1985-1987 1985. Purdue University Library
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referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #4D, 3/7/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn STS-51-L SALVAGE BRIEFING, 2/19/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 51-F MISSION National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 41-C STS-13 LANDING AT EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, CALIFORINA National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Better Government Association (Ill.). Better Government Association records, 1904-1990 (bulk 1923-1990). Chicago History Museum
referencedIn JSC [JOHNSON SPACE CENTER] PRESS CONFERENCE (RICHARD TRULY, THOMAS MOSER, JESSE MOORE, AND ROBERT CRIPPEN), 3/25/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Buchli, James F., Collection, 1985 University of West Florida Libraries
referencedIn Bingham, Barry, 1906-1988. George Barry Bingham : papers, 1861-1989. The Filson Historical Society
referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #3C, 2/6/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn BYU Magazine collection of reminiscences, 1937-2012 L. Tom Perry Special Collections
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 51-B MISSION United States. National Archives and Records Administration
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER ON 51-F SPACELAB 2 MISSION National Archives at College Park
referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #1C, 2/25/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 51-B LANDING United States. National Archives and Records Administration
referencedIn STS 51-L DATA AND DESIGN ANALYSIS TASK FORCE (COMPOSITE VIDEO OF STS 51-L FILMS - INCLUDING 70MM), 7/22/86 National Archives at College Park
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referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #1B, 2/27/86 National Archives at College Park
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editorOf PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #3C, 3/7/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #1A, 2/11/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Richard Phillips Feynman papers, 1933-1988 California Institute of Technology. Archives.
referencedIn Space tree : records, 1985-1987. Stanford University. Department of Special Collections and University Archives
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 51-B MISSION National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 61-A LANDING National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER STS-7 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn PRESS CONFERENCE: WILLIAM GRAHAM, JESSE MOORE AND RICHARD TRULY, 2/20/86 National Archives at College Park
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referencedIn UPDATE - SHUTTLE REVIEW BOARD (J.R. THOMPSON), 4/8/86 National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Harbor Branch Foundation. Sea Link II. Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee County Federated Library System
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 61-A ON BOARD MAGAZINES 72 AND DI-C National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SALVAGE OPS UPDATE (51-L W/COL. ED O'CONNOR), 3/24/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #5, (TRULY, ALDRICH, CHARLESWORTH), 4/3/86: SPACE SHUTTLE ACCIDENT. Part 5 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Welborne, Patrick,. Patrick Welborne collection, 1935-1986. Western Michigan University, Dwight B. Waldo Library
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referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER STS-11 ON BOARD FOOTAGE, MAGAZINE, 72,73,74,77,78,80,82,99 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #2A (1A) National Archives at College Park
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referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #2A (1A) National Archives at College Park
referencedIn Records of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 1903 - 2006. General Information Posters National Archives at College Park
referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ACCIDENT ANALYSIS PANEL, 4/16/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 41-C STS-13 ON BOARD MAGAZINES 91,94,95 AND 96 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn NIGHTLINE SHOW HISTORY, 5/5/86 National Archives at College Park
creatorOf Harbor Branch Foundation. Seward Johnson. Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee County Federated Library System
referencedIn PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION ON THE SPACE SHUTTLE HEARING #2B, 2/6/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 51-B MISSION National Archives at College Park
referencedIn PRESS CONFERENCE: WILLIAM GRAHAM, JESSE MOORE AND RICHARD TRULY, 2/20/86 National Archives at College Park
referencedIn SPACE SHUTTLE ORBITER 099 CHALLENGER 41-C STS-13 ON BOARD MAGAZINES 72,73,74,75,76,77 National Archives at College Park
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Better Government Association (Ill.) corporateBody
associatedWith Bingham, Barry, 1906-1988. person
associatedWith Bridges, Roy D. (Roy Dunbard), 1943- person
associatedWith Buchli, James F. person
associatedWith BYU Magazine corporateBody
associatedWith Feynman, Richard P. (Richard Phillips), 1918-1988. person
hasMember Ride, Sally, 1951-2012 person
associatedWith Rockwell International corporateBody
hasMember Sullivan, Kathryn D., 1951- person
associatedWith Truly, Richard. person
associatedWith United States. Government Printing Office. corporateBody
associatedWith United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration corporateBody
associatedWith Welborne, Patrick, person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Space Exploration
Space flight
Occupation
Activity

Corporate Body

Active 1982-07-05

Active 1986-01-28

Americans

Information

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Ark ID: w6xj0f3f

SNAC ID: 83209839