How the Challenger disaster changed space exploration forever

It was the disaster that injected a shot of realism into space exploration ambitions and whose impact is still being felt today. Thirty years ago the Challenger space shuttle blasted off from Nasa’s Cape Canaveral base in Florida. Seventy-three seconds later the shuttle exploded, killing all seven on board. To mark the anniversary, Euronews spoke to the European Space Agency’s Dominique Detain (DD) and Dr Lance Bush (LB) from the Challenger Centre – an NGO set up by families of the disaster victims – to get their analyses of the tragedy. How did you learn about the Challenger disaster? DD “I was a journalist in Guyana, working as a space specialist for RFÔ, a public broadcaster. That day I was on a mission at a river in the jungle. I received the information through the military and they told me that I had to call the headquarters because there had been a very serious space accident. “At the time there were no mobile phones! It was another era.” LB “On January 28, 1986 I was a fresh young engineer at NASA, learning my craft from legendary space vehicle designers that designed Mercury, Gemini and Apollo. I joined that team which, in the early days of the Shuttle programme, was tasked with designing the next generation of space vehicles. “I already knew, intellectually as an engineer, the great responsibility of our work, as lives depend on the deliberations and decisions made. In that moment of the explosion, that point was driven deep into me. “At NASA we all have a deep sense of teamwork because we know that our success and the lives of our teammates depends on each other.” Footage of the disaster. Blast-off from 7m 18s How did you feel about it? DD “We all felt very sad because we admired – and we still admire – what NASA and its astronauts have achieved in space. “The disaster put a stop to enthusiasm, perhaps a blind enthusiasm, and reminded everyone that security is very sensitive in space, that no one is beyond having a technical problem. “There had been a frost in Florida, which is not very common, and the consequence was that tragic accident.” LB “I was no stranger to having a family member die before their time, in a tragic and instantaneous way. So, I understood what this meant to the family members of the astronauts, as well as all the children watching. I am glad that today I can help continue the legacy of the crew, to help the family members, and to make a difference in the lives of children.” How did the disaster impact space exploration at the time? DD “It was a shock for everyone. At that time NASA thought they could send one shuttle every month. The disaster made everyone realise that sending astronauts to space is not something you can take for granted. “It also made the space engineers understand that it wasn’t a great idea to launch satellites and astronauts at the same time systematically. “After the Challenger accident no astronauts are sent to space unless it’s completely necessary. The victims of the disaster. Credit: NASA “At the time of the accident there was no International Space Station, no travel to the Moon, astronauts were put into orbit for some time and then came back home. Missions were intended either to put satellites in orbit or to remove satellites from orbit. LB “The crew and all the people who worked on Challenger mission 51-L dedicated themselves to exploration for the benefit of humanity and specifically to initiating a global effort to inspire young people for generations to come, as well as to further pursue STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) studies and careers to become science-literate citizens. “That dedication lived on in so many people who have devoted themselves to the creation of a living legacy. “Today, 30 years later, we have touched the lives of almost 4.5 million children, engaging and inspiring students in our more than 40 Challenger Centers in 27 states and four countries. Each and every day there are transformations happening within the children that will take the helm. These students are energized and realize they can take on these fields. Today we have outstanding alumni that are making differences in the workforce. Challenger is helping fuel our continued exploration of space and our social and economic well-being. What was the public reaction to the Challenger disaster? DD “The Challenger accident was particularly shocking because it happened live on TV. “NASA was doing a public relations operation with it. They had invited Christa McAuliffe, a 36-year-old teacher, on board. It was the first time there was a ‘passenger’, a non-professional astronaut heading to orbit, and she was intending to give lessons from space. There was a whole communications plan around it, to show the world ‘how nice space was’. “Someone even wanted to pull off an advertising ‘coup’, as the day before launch an insurance company had granted insurance to Christa McAuliffe’s life. Obviously, they paid the price the day after. “That anecdote shows the mood before the launch and to what extent no-one expected the tragic outcome. “At that time there was a certain “euphoria” around the space exploration, everything seemed to roll perfectly. And the Challenger accident put things into – realistic – perspective: this is that space exploration is always a dangerous adventure, that we always assume risks when we leave Earth’s gravity for space. What were the long term implications for space exploration? DD “The space community had to review its full strategy after Challenger. “We realised that there was no such thing as ‘routine missions’. In this case it was a relatively small, almost invisible problem in a joint of its right rocket. There had been freezing temperatures in Florida on the day of the lift-off. “It showed the advantages of a programme like ESA’s Ariane, that had just started to appear on the scene, cheaper and with no crew on board. “But Ariane didn’t take full advantage of that situation because it had its own major failure not long after the Challenger’s, the Ariane V-18 flight, which lost an Intelsat satellite. “When we look back we realise that NASA had made the mistake of putting all the effort on the shuttles. In Europe we started to think about a shuttle programme but it stopped in the 1990s, probably a consequence of Challenger, and we realised that space capsules were cheaper and safer. “Today Americans use Russian capsules, the Soyuz, and they are building their own space capsule programme, Orion. They realise it’s the safest way to go up there, less comfortable, but safer. “Shuttle missions were slowed down, and also reviewed, shuttles were dedicated to missions that can’t be accomplished without astronauts on board. To launch a satellite you don’t need a crew, it’s cheaper to launch an unmanned rocket and it has fewer consequences if ever something goes wrong. “The Ariane accident that came later was due to a pressure failure in a pump, quite easy to detect. We are never able to create a ‘production line’ in space exploration, there is always a portion of risk. And that’s part of the charm of this sector, nothing is taken for granted.” Share your memories These are some euronews’ fans comments. Click on the image below and leave your message on our Facebook page. 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