en
Challenger explosion
/ˈtʃælɪndʒər ɪkˈsploʊʒən/
Definition
1
The catastrophic failure and disintegration of the NASA Space Shuttle Challenger 73 seconds after launch on January 28, 1986, killing all seven crew members due to the failure of an O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster, exacerbated by unusually cold weather.
Examples
The Challenger explosion remains a pivotal moment in space history, reminding engineers to double-check their seals before showtime.
Forty years after the Challenger explosion, we still debate if it was the cold or hubris that grounded NASA's dreams.
Don't bring up the Challenger explosion at a rocket launch party unless you want awkward silence.
The Challenger explosion turned a routine flight into the ultimate plot twist no one saw coming.