STS - 51 - L - Wikipedia STS - 51 - L STS - 51 - L Back row ( L-R ) : Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik. Front row ( L-R ) : Michael J. Smith, Francis `` Dick '' Scobee, Ronald McNair. Mission type Satellite deployment Operator NASA Mission duration 6 days 34 minutes ( planned ) Distance travelled 29 kilometres ( 18 mi ) Orbits completed Failed to achieve orbit ( 96 planned ) Spacecraft properties Spacecraft Space Shuttle Challenger Launch mass 121,778 kilograms ( 268,475 lb ) Landing mass 90,584 kilograms ( 199,704 lb ) ( planned ) Payload mass 21,937 kilograms ( 48,363 lb ) Crew Crew size 7 Members Francis R. Scobee Michael J. Smith Ellison S. Onizuka Judith A. Resnik Ronald E. McNair Gregory B. Jarvis S. Christa McAuliffe Start of mission Launch date January 28, 1986 ; 32 years ago ( 1986 - 01 - 28 ) 16 : 38 : 00 UTC Launch site Kennedy LC - 39B End of mission Destroyed January 28, 1986 ; 32 years ago ( 1986 - 01 - 28 ) 16 : 39 : 13 UTC Landing site Kennedy SLF Runway 33 ( planned ) Orbital parameters Reference system Geocentric Regime Low Earth Perigee 285 kilometres ( 177 mi ) Apogee 295 kilometres ( 183 mi ) Inclination 28.45 degrees Period ~ 90.4 minutes Epoch Planned Space Shuttle program ← STS - 61 - C STS - 26 → STS - 51 - L was the 25th mission of the United States Space Shuttle program, and disastrous final mission of the Space Shuttle Challenger. The mission to carry out several lessons from space and observe Halley 's Comet never made its target landing date of February 3, 1986. A structural failure during its ascent phase 73 seconds after launch on January 28 from Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39 killed all seven crew members -- Commander Dick Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Mission Specialists Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik and Ronald E. McNair, and Payload Specialists Gregory Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe -- and destroyed the orbiter. The Rogers Commission determined that the cause of the destruction was due to the failure of an O - ring seal on the starboard Solid Rocket Booster ( SRB ). Space Shuttle flights were suspended for 32 months while the hazards with the shuttle were addressed. Contents 1 Planned mission 2 Crew 2.1 Backup crew 2.2 Crew seating arrangement 2.3 Crew seating arrangement notes 3 Ascent failure 4 Crew fate 5 Mission objectives 6 Mission insignia 7 See also 8 References 9 External links Planned mission The tenth mission for Challenger, STS - 51 - L was scheduled to deploy the second in a series of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites, carry out the first flight of the Shuttle - Pointed Tool for Astronomy ( SPARTAN - 203 ) / Halley 's Comet Experiment Deployable in order to observe Halley 's Comet, and carry out several lessons from space as part of the Teacher in Space Project and Shuttle Student Involvement Program ( SSIP ). The flight marked the first American orbital mission to involve in - flight fatalities. It was also the first American human spaceflight mission to launch and fail to reach space ; the first such mission in the world had been the Soviet Soyuz 18a mission, in which the two crew members had survived. Gregory Jarvis was originally scheduled to fly on the previous shuttle flight ( STS - 61 - C ), but he was reassigned to this flight and replaced by Congressman Bill Nelson. Crew Position Astronaut Commander Francis R. Scobee Second spaceflight Pilot Michael J. Smith First spaceflight Mission Specialist 1 Ellison S. Onizuka Second spaceflight Mission Specialist 2 Judith A. Resnik Second spaceflight Mission Specialist 3 Ronald E. McNair Second spaceflight Payload Specialist 1 Gregory B. Jarvis First spaceflight Hughes Space and Communications Payload Specialist 2 S. Christa McAuliffe First spaceflight Teacher in Space Backup crew Position Astronaut Payload Specialist 1 L. William Butterworth First spaceflight Hughes Space and Communications Payload Specialist 2 Barbara R. Morgan First spaceflight Teacher in Space Morgan would be selected as a NASA astronaut in 1998 and flew on STS - 118 in 2007 as a mission specialist. Crew seating arrangement Seat Launch Landing Seats 1 -- 4 are on the Flight Deck. Seats 5 -- 7 are on the Middeck. S1 Scobee Scobee S2 Smith Smith S3 Onizuka McNair S4 Resnik Resnik S5 McNair Onizuka S6 Jarvis Jarvis S7 McAuliffe McAuliffe Crew seating arrangement notes Although the crew died in the Challenger disaster, their seating assignment chart depicts what would have happened if the mission was performed as planned. Ascent failure Main article : Space Shuttle Challenger disaster Challenger after the explosion 73 seconds after launch During the ascent phase, 73 seconds after liftoff, the vehicle experienced a catastrophic structural failure resulting in the loss of crew and vehicle. The Rogers Commission later determined the cause of the accident to have been the failure of the primary and secondary ( backup ) O - ring seals on Challenger 's right Solid Rocket Booster. The failure of these seals allowed a flamethrower - like flare to impinge upon one of two aft SRB attach struts, which eventually failed, freeing the booster to pivot about its remaining attachment points. The forward part of the booster cylinder struck the external tank inter-tank area, leading to a structural failure of the ET -- the core structural component of the entire stack. A rapid burning of liberated propellants ensued. With the structural `` backbone '' of the stack compromised and breaking up, the SRBs flew off on their own, as did the orbiter, which rapidly disintegrated due to overwhelming aerodynamic forces. The launch had been approved despite a predicted ambient temperature of − 3 ° C ( 27 ° F ), well below the qualification limit of major components such as the SRBs, which had been certified for use only at temperatures above 4 ° C ( 39 ° F ). Evidence found in the remnants of the crew cabin showed that several of the emergency air supplies ( PEAPs ) carried by the astronauts had been manually activated, suggesting that forces experienced inside the cabin during breakup of the orbiter were not inherently fatal, and that at least three crew members were alive and capable of conscious action for a period following vehicle breakup. `` Tracking reported that the vehicle had exploded and impacted the water in an area approximately located at 28.64 degrees north, 80.28 degrees west. '' Crew Fate Divers from the USS Preserver located what they believed to be the crew cabin on the ocean floor on March 7. A dive the following day confirmed that it was the cabin and that the remains of the crew were inside. No official investigation into the Challenger disaster has concluded for certain the cause of death of the astronauts ; it is almost certain that the disintegration itself did not kill the entire crew as 3 of the 4 Personal Egress Air Packs ( PEAPs ) that were recovered had been manually activated. This would only be done during an emergency or loss of cabin pressure. PEAPs do not provide a pressurized air flow and would still have resulted in the astronauts losing consciousness within several seconds. There were media reports alleging that NASA had a tape recording of the crew panicking and on - board conversation following the disintegration during the 2 minute 45 second free fall before hitting the sea east of Florida. This was likely fabricated and no recording exists, as the crew may have been unconscious from loss of cabin pressure and the astronauts did not wear individual voice recorders. The impact of the shuttle with the sea would have killed any still surviving astronauts on board, though they may have died before the impact of other causes. Mission objectives Challenger launches at the start of STS - 51L. Deployment of Tracking Data Relay Satellite - B ( TDRS - B ) with an Inertial Upper Stage booster Flight of Shuttle - Pointed Tool for Astronomy ( SPARTAN - 203 ) / Halley 's Comet Experiment Deployable Fluid Dynamics Experiment ( FDE ) Comet Halley Active Monitoring Program ( CHAMP ) Phase Partitioning Experiment ( PPE ) Three Shuttle Student Involvement Program ( SSIP ) experiments Two lessons for the Teacher in Space Project ( TISP ) ( unofficial ) Ronald McNair was planning to play saxophone in space for Jean - Michel Jarre 's album `` Rendez - Vous '' track V. Attempt Planned Result Turnaround Reason Decision point Weather go ( % ) Notes 1986 - 01 - 22 03 : 43 : 00 ! 22 Jan 1986, 3 : 43 : 00 am Rescheduled -- Delays in STS - 61 - C 1986 - 01 - 23 03 : 43 : 00 ! 23 Jan 1986, 3 : 43 : 00 am Rescheduled 1 day, 0 hours, 0 minutes Delays in STS - 61 - C 1986 - 01 - 24 03 : 43 : 00 ! 24 Jan 1986, 3 : 43 : 00 am Scrubbed 1 day, 0 hours, 0 minutes Weather at transatlantic abort site 1986 - 01 - 25 09 : 37 : 00 ! 25 Jan 1986, 9 : 37 : 00 am Scrubbed 1 day, 5 hours, 54 minutes Launch preparation delays 5 1986 - 01 - 27 09 : 37 : 00 ! 27 Jan 1986, 9 : 37 : 00 am Scrubbed 2 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes Equipment failures in orbiter closeout, cross winds at shuttle landing site. 6 1986 - 01 - 28 09 : 37 : 00 ! 28 Jan 1986, 9 : 37 : 00 am Delayed 1 day, 0 hours, 0 minutes Technical issues with fire detection system. 7 1986 - 01 - 28 11 : 38 : 00 ! 28 Jan 1986, 11 : 38 : 00 am Loss of vehicle and crew 0 days, 2 hours, 1 minute Mission insignia Dick Scobee asked Kennedy Space Center engineer Ernie Reyes to design the mission patch seen above to represent the mission of 51 - L. In it, Challenger is depicted launching from Florida and soaring into space to carry out a variety of goals. Among the prescribed duties of the five astronauts and two payload specialists ( represented by the seven stars of the U.S. flag ) was observation and photography of Halley 's Comet, backdropped against the U.S. flag in the insignia. Surnames of the crew members encircle the scene, with the payload specialists being recognized below. The surname of the first teacher in space, Christa McAuliffe, is followed by a symbolic apple. See also Spaceflight portal 1980s portal Florida portal Apollo 1 STS - 51 - L Mission timeline Space Shuttle Columbia disaster Space Shuttle program Challenger Center References This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. ^ Jump up to : `` Mission Archives - STS - 51L ''. NASA. Jump up ^ Mullane, Mike ( 2006 ). Riding Rockets. Simon and Schuster. pp. 204 -- 205. ISBN 9780743276825. Jump up ^ `` S. Christa Corrigan McAuliffe ''. Biographical Data. NASA. April 2007. Retrieved June 13, 2009. Jump up ^ `` STS - 51L ''. Spacefacts. Retrieved 26 February 2014. Jump up ^ Rogers Commission, Vol4 Part7 Jump up ^ Joseph P. Kerwin 's letter to Admiral Truly nasa.gov Jump up ^ `` Shuttle explodes ; crew lost '', Frederick, OK -- Daily Leader newspaper, January 28, 1986. Jump up ^ Isikoff, Michael ( March 10, 1986 ). `` Remains of Crew of Shuttle Found ''. The Washington Post. Retrieved March 5, 2009. Jump up ^ Harwood, William. `` The Fate of Challenger 's Crew ''. Space-Shuttle.com. Retrieved July 24, 2011. Jump up ^ Mikkelson, Barbara ( November 2, 2006 ). `` Challenger Deaths ''. Snopes.com. Urban Legends Reference Pages. Retrieved July 24, 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` STS - 51L Mission Archives ''. NASA. Jump up ^ Thomas, James A. ( Gene ) ( 2006 ). Some Trust in Chariots : The Space Shuttle Challenger Experience. Xulon Press. p. 197. ISBN 1 - 60034 - 096 - 2. Retrieved 23 September 2016. External links Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident STS - 51 - L Main articles Space Shuttle Challenger STS - 51 - L Space Shuttle Challenger disaster STS - 51 - L Mission timeline Crew Scobee ( Cmdr ) Smith Resnik Onizuka McNair Jarvis McAuliffe See also Rogers Commission Report Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster TDRS - B Challenger flag Space Shuttle Challenger ( OV - 099 ) Flights STS - 6 STS - 7 STS - 8 STS - 41 - B STS - 41 - C STS - 41 - G STS - 51 - B STS - 51 - F STS - 61 - A STS - 51 - L Status Out of service - destroyed - January 28, 1986 ( STS - 51 - L ) See also Rogers Commission STS - 61 - F STS - 61 - M U.S. Space Shuttle missions Completed 1970s 1977 ALT 1980s 1981 STS - 1 STS - 2 1982 STS - 3 STS - 4 STS - 5 STS - 6 STS - 7 STS - 8 STS - 9 1984 STS - 41 - B STS - 41 - C STS - 41 - D STS - 41 - G STS - 51 - A 1985 STS - 51 - C STS - 51 - D STS - 51 - B STS - 51 - G STS - 51 - F STS - 51 - I STS - 51 - J STS - 61 - A STS - 61 - B 1986 STS - 61 - C STS - 51 - L STS - 26 STS - 27 STS - 29 STS - 30 STS - 28 STS - 34 STS - 33 1990s STS - 32 STS - 36 STS - 31 STS - 41 STS - 38 STS - 35 1991 STS - 37 STS - 39 STS - 40 STS - 43 STS - 48 STS - 44 STS - 42 STS - 45 STS - 49 STS - 50 STS - 46 STS - 47 STS - 52 STS - 53 STS - 54 STS - 56 STS - 55 STS - 57 STS - 51 STS - 58 STS - 61 STS - 60 STS - 62 STS - 59 STS - 65 STS - 64 STS - 68 STS - 66 1995 STS - 63 STS - 67 STS - 71 STS - 70 STS - 69 STS - 73 STS - 74 STS - 72 STS - 75 STS - 76 STS - 77 STS - 78 STS - 79 STS - 80 STS - 81 STS - 82 STS - 83 STS - 84 STS - 94 STS - 85 STS - 86 STS - 87 1998 STS - 89 STS - 90 STS - 91 STS - 95 STS - 88 1999 STS - 96 STS - 93 STS - 103 2000s 2000 STS - 99 STS - 101 STS - 106 STS - 92 STS - 97 STS - 98 STS - 102 STS - 100 STS - 104 STS - 105 STS - 108 2002 STS - 109 STS - 110 STS - 111 STS - 112 STS - 113 2003 STS - 107 2005 STS - 114 2006 STS - 121 STS - 115 STS - 116 2007 STS - 117 STS - 118 STS - 120 2008 STS - 122 STS - 123 STS - 124 STS - 126 2009 STS - 119 STS - 125 STS - 127 STS - 128 STS - 129 2010s STS - 130 STS - 131 STS - 132 2011 STS - 133 STS - 134 STS - 135 Cancelled STS - 41 - F STS - 61 - E STS - 61 - F STS - 61 - G STS - 62 - A STS - 61 - M STS - 61 - H STS - 144 STS - 3xx STS - 400 Others Orbiters Enterprise Columbia disaster Challenger disaster Discovery Atlantis Endeavour ← 1985 Orbital launches in 1986 1987 → Kosmos 1715 Kosmos 1716 Kosmos 1717 Kosmos 1718 Kosmos 1719 Kosmos 1720 Kosmos 1721 Kosmos 1722 Kosmos 1723 STS - 61 - C ( Satcom K1 ) Kosmos 1724 Kosmos 1725 Kosmos 1726 Gran ' No. 29L Kosmos 1727 Kosmos 1728 STS - 51 - L ( TDRS - B SPARTAN - 203 ) Shiyong Tongbu Tongxin Weixing 1 Kosmos 1729 Kosmos 1730 Kosmos 1731 USA - 15 USA - 16 USA - 17 USA - 18 Kosmos 1732 Yuri 2b Mir / Core Kosmos 1733 SPOT - 1 Viking Kosmos 1734 Kosmos 1735 Soyuz T - 15 Progress 25 Kosmos 1736 Kosmos 1737 Unnamed GStar - 2 Brasilsat A2 Kosmos 1738 Kosmos 1739 Kosmos 1740 Kosmos 1741 KH - 9 No. 1220 Pearl Ruby Molniya - 3 No. 43 Progress 26 GOES - G Kosmos 1742 Kosmos 1743 Soyuz TM - 1 Kosmos 1744 Kosmos 1745 Ekran No. 30L Meteor - 2 No. 18 Kosmos 1746 Kosmos 1747 Intelsat VA F - 14 Kosmos 1748 Kosmos 1749 Kosmos 1750 Kosmos 1751 Kosmos 1752 Kosmos 1753 Kosmos 1754 Kosmos 1755 Kosmos 1756 Gorizont No. 24L Kosmos 1757 Kosmos 1758 Kosmos 1759 Kosmos 1760 Molniya - 3 No. 44 Kosmos 1761 Kosmos 1762 Kosmos 1763 Kosmos 1764 Kosmos 1765 Kosmos 1766 Kosmos 1767 Molniya - 1 No. 59 Kosmos 1768 Kosmos 1769 Kosmos 1770 Ajisai Fuji 1a Jindai Kosmos 1771 Kosmos 1772 Kosmos 1773 Kosmos 1774 Kosmos 1775 Kosmos 1776 Molniya - 1 No. 57 USA - 19 Kosmos 1777 Kosmos 1778 Kosmos 1779 Kosmos 1780 Kosmos 1781 NOAA - 10 Kosmos 1782 Kosmos 1783 Fanhui Shi Weixing 9 Kosmos 1784 Unnamed Kosmos 1785 Molniya - 3 No. 41 Kosmos 1786 Kosmos 1787 Gran ' No. 30L Kosmos 1788 Kosmos 1789 Kosmos 1790 Kosmos 1791 Kosmos 1792 Polar Bear Molniya - 1 No. 60 Gorizont No. 22L Kosmos 1793 Kosmos 1794 Kosmos 1795 Kosmos 1796 Kosmos 1797 Kosmos 1798 Kosmos 1799 Kosmos 1800 Kosmos 1801 Kosmos 1802 Mech - K No. 303 Kosmos 1803 Kosmos 1804 USA - 20 Kosmos 1805 Kosmos 1806 Kosmos 1807 Kosmos 1808 Kosmos 1809 Kosmos 1810 Molniya - 1 No. 62 Payloads are separated by bullets ( ), launches by pipes ( ). Manned flights are indicated in bold text. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in ( brackets ). Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=STS-51-L&oldid=825001905 '' Categories : 1986 in spaceflight Space accidents and incidents in the United States Space Shuttle missions Space program fatalities Space Shuttle Challenger disaster Spacecraft launched in 1986 1986 in Florida January 1986 events Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from May 2012 Wikipedia articles incorporating text from NASA Use American English from January 2014 All Wikipedia articles written in American English Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bân - lâm - gú Български Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Español Esperanto فارسی Français Galego 한국어 Bahasa Indonesia Italiano עברית Magyar Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Polski Português Русский Slovenčina Suomi Svenska ไทย Українська Yorùbá 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 10 February 2018, at 22 : 07. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. 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Question: what was the purpose of the last challenger mission
Answer: to carry out several lessons from space and observe Halley's Comet