Challenger Disaster | What Really Happened | 4

American Scandal

Wondery

True Crime, Exhibit C, Society & Culture, History, Documentary, History Daily, American History Tellers, Lindsay Graham

4.6 • 18.7K Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2025

⏱️ 44 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Following the Challenger disaster, engineers grapple with guilt and the consequences of raising concerns about the space shuttle’s flaws. Amidst public outcry, the Rogers Commission’s inquiry, including Richard Feynman’s stark demonstration of the O-Rings' vulnerability, uncovers what was known about the design failures and the economic pressures that led officials to move forward anyway.

Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter

Listen to American Scandal on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. Experience all episodes ad-free and be the first to binge the newest season. Unlock exclusive early access by joining Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial today by visiting wondery.com/links/american-scandal/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hi, this is Lindsay Graham, host of American Scandal.
0:03.1	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 Wondry Plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts.
0:36.6	Thank you. and more. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. It's January 29, 1986, at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
0:43.0	Outside the sprawling Operation Support Center, Morton Thiakall engineer Al McDonald
0:48.0	flashes his security badge to a guard and types in a code on a keypad to enter the building.
0:53.8	It's been just over 24 hours since the space shuttle Challenger exploded,
0:57.9	killing all seven astronauts on board.
1:00.4	The public is demanding answers about what caused the disaster,
1:03.9	which was witnessed by millions, including schoolchildren, on live TV.
1:08.5	But so far, NASA has been tight-lipped.
1:13.6	The agency has issued statements saying that the cause of the explosion is still unknown, while simultaneously claiming that the
1:18.4	unusually cold weather played no role. But McDonald has doubts. Just hours before the astronauts
1:24.9	were strapped into the shuttle, McDonald and his fellow Thiocall engineers pleaded with NASA and executives at their own company
1:31.7	to delay the launch.
1:33.3	They presented data showing the thin rubber gasket O-rings inside the joints of the shuttle's
1:38.3	solid rocket boosters were unsafe to use at anything below 50 degrees.
1:43.7	But the decision-makers chose to go forward with the launch
1:46.8	when the temperature was barely above freezing,
1:49.4	and the Challenger was destroyed in a fireball just 73 seconds after liftoff.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -80 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Wondery, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Wondery and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.