Challenger Disaster | Bigger, Faster, Cheaper | 1
American Scandal
Wondery
4.6 • 18.7K Ratings
🗓️ 17 December 2024
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In January 1986, the Challenger Space Shuttle was poised to make history, carrying seven astronauts, including Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher and civilian selected for space travel. The launch was part of a decade-long effort by NASA to make flights cheaper and more frequent with the use of a reusable space shuttle. But years of budget cuts and risky design choices set the stage for disaster.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, this is Lindsay Graham, host of American Scandal. Our Back catalog has moved behind a paywall. |
| 0:05.9 | Recent episodes remain free, but older ones will require a Wondry Plus subscription. |
| 0:10.6 | With Wondry Plus, you get access to the full American Scandal archive, add free, plus early access to new seasons, and more. |
| 0:17.7 | Join Wondery Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts. A listener note, |
| 0:21.8 | this episode contains graphic audio and may not be suitable for all audiences. |
| 0:46.9 | It's J 28, 1986, at NASA's Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. |
| 0:53.2 | June Scobie is standing on the roof of the launch control center building with her two adult children by her side. |
| 0:55.3 | They're here to watch the launch of the Space Shut Challenger, and today is a special occasion for them, because June's husband Dick is |
| 1:00.8 | the commander of the mission. Watching her husband flies, nothing new for Jim. During their 26 years |
| 1:06.9 | of marriage, Dick has served as a combat pilot, test pilot, astronaut, and today will be his |
| 1:12.3 | second launch on the Challenger. And it's certainly the coldest, so cold, in fact, that the launch |
| 1:17.6 | has already been delayed by several hours to clear icicles from the shuttle. Looking around |
| 1:22.6 | at the family members of the other six Challenger astronauts, all huddled together on the roof, |
| 1:27.7 | June can see a familiar mix of excitement and trepidation on their faces. |
| 1:32.8 | Over the years, June has learned to accept the danger inherent in Dick's line of work, |
| 1:37.5 | but still, watching her husband get launched into space by rockets is a uniquely nerve-wracking |
| 1:43.0 | experience. |
| 1:48.2 | So she's relieved to know that her husband has decided to make this his final mission. |
| 1:53.7 | The couple recently became grandparents, and she's looking forward to a more peaceful life together. |
| 1:59.1 | But it's also bittersweet to know that her family's adventures with NASA are coming to a close. |
| 2:02.0 | So she puts aside her jitters and tries to savor the thrill of seeing one more launch. June wraps her arm around the waist for her son, Rich, |
| 2:11.4 | who is a pilot himself in the Air Force Academy. Just think, Rich, that could be you flying the shuttle |
... |
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