Challenger crew likely survived explosion before tragic plunge to earth
nypost.com/2021/06/19/challenger…
The Space Shuttle Challenger was hurtling through the air at twice the speed of sound when pilot Michael Smith noticed something alarming. As was later learned, the cold of the Florida morning had stiffened the rubber O-rings that held the booster sections together, containing the explosive fuel inside. The rings failed to expand fully in the cold, leaving a gap of less than a millimeter between booster sections. #NASA #Challenger #TeacherInSpace #Smith #Scobee #McNair, #Onizuka #Resnik #Jarvis #McAuliffe #1986 #died #2021