Timeline Tuesday 28 January 1986

Events on Tuesday 28 January 1986 2

• 1948 – 1986 Christa McAuliffe (1948-1986) Died 28 January 1986, aged 37 American teacher selected for NASA's Teacher in Space Project, killed when the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart shortly after launch. Her presence on the mission had drawn intense public and school interest ahead of the flight. Her death became one of the defining images of the US space program's risks.
• 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster Shuttle breaks apart 73 seconds after launch The Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated shortly after liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, killing all seven crew members including teacher Christa McAuliffe. A failed O-ring seal on a solid rocket booster was found responsible. The disaster halted the US shuttle program for nearly three years.