In his new book, “The Burning Blue,” Northampton writer Kevin Cook vividly recalls the story, combining an extensive review of past sources with fresh interviews with many people connected to the disaster: NASA engineers, former astronauts, family of the dead crew members. Television images of the explosion, just 72 seconds after the shuttle and its giant booster rockets had lifted off from Cape Canaveral in Florida, were replayed endlessly, and in the weeks and months that followed, details that were revealed about the shortcuts and mistakes NASA had made to get this particular space shuttle in the air would darken the tragedy. 28, 1986, NASA’s space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff, killing the crew of seven, including Christa McAuliffe, a high-spirited social studies teacher who had won a nationwide contest to be the first “Teacher in Space’’ - in the process becoming a national celebrity and spokeswoman for teachers everywhere. became embedded in our collective memories, there was another image, of another disaster, that left a searing memory for millions of Americans. APīefore the terrible pictures from the September 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. 28, 1986, shortly after lifting off from Kennedy Space Center. The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes on Jan. She perished during the 1986 launch of shuttle Challenger, along with her six crewmates. The high school teacher from Concord, N.H., never got to teach from space. 26, 1985 photo made available by NASA shows astronaut Sharon Christa McAuliffe. McAuliffe was one of seven crew members killed in the Challenger explosion.
Teacher Christa McAuliffe rides with her children Caroline and Scott during a parade in 1985 down Main Street in Concord, N.H.
NASA’s “Crawler” delivers the Challenger to the launch pad on Cape Canaveral. Record cold loosened seals called O-rings on one of the booster rockets, allowing hot gas to escape and ignite. Ice encrusts the launch tower the morning of the Challenger liftoff. The space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Cape Canaveral in Florida on Jan. Below, author Kevin Cook revisits the disaster in “The Burning Blue.” NASAĬhrista McAuliffe, second from left in back row, was joined on the flight by a second civilian, aircraft engineer Greg Jarvis, to McAuliffe’s left. The horrific aftermath of the explosion of the booster rockets of the Challenger was seen by millions in real time on Jan. “The Burning Blue” offers fresh portraits of the crew members of the ill-fated Challenger, including Massachusetts native Christa McAuliffe, the “Teacher in Space.” Northampton author Kevin Cook revisits the 1986 space shuttle Challenger disaster in his new book, “The Burning Blue.” STAFF PHOTO/KEVIN GUTTING
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