description Challenger STS-51-L Overview
Challenger STS-51-L was NASA's 25th Space Shuttle mission and the tenth flight of the orbiter Challenger, launched from Kennedy Space Center on January 28, 1986. The vehicle broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff after hot gases escaped through a failed O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster; the failure was linked to cold conditions and design and decision-making problems identified by the Rogers Commission. All seven crew members died, including teacher-in-space participant Christa McAuliffe. [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/challenger-sts-51l-accident/)
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