Thom Baur/AP Images

Disaster in the Sky

How the tragedy of the 1986 Challenger mission changed space exploration forever

By Kristin Lewis

From the December 2022/January 2023 Issue

Learning Objective: to explore key ideas and details in a narrative nonfiction article

Lexiles: 890L, 730L

Featured Skill: Key Ideas and Details,

Other Key Skills: interpreting text, cause and effect, vocabulary

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AS YOU READ

Think about what lessons can be learned from the story of Challenger.

10, 9, 8, 7...

It was January 28, 1986, an unusually chilly morning in Florida, and the space shuttle Challenger was about to blast off. Seven crew members were strapped into their seats, bracing for the ear-splitting, teeth-rattling roar of the rockets that would hurtle them into space.

In many ways, this mission would be routine. Challenger was one of five reusable spacecraft constructed for the American space shuttle program, which was now in its 14th year. Each shuttle launched into space, orbited Earth, and then landed back on the ground like an airplane. They were nicknamed “space trucks” because they could carry a lot of cargo as well as many astronauts.

But there was something unique about this mission. One of the astronauts wasn’t an astronaut at all. She was a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire named Christa McAuliffe. She was to be the first private citizen chosen for a space mission.

The whole country was swept up in the excitement. Just imagine! A teacher going to space! On the day of the launch, kids in classrooms across the country sat at the edge of their seats, eyes glued to the live broadcast. Near the launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida, crowds gathered outside, eyes cast to the sky to watch what would surely be a thrilling spectacle.

Instead, they were about to witness one of the most shocking disasters in the history of the American space program.

At 11:38 a.m., the rockets fired. Plumes of bright-white steam curled around the launchpad. It would take 10 tons of fuel burning every second to lift Challenger off the ground and into space. It rose slowly at first, sailing straight up. Gaining speed, it rose higher and higher, glinting in the winter sun.

Then catastrophe struck.

A stream of fire suddenly shot out from the side of one of the rockets. And 73 seconds after launch, the fuel tank exploded.

Down on the ground, spectators watched in confusion, trying to make sense of the fireball and strange cloud that had suddenly appeared high up in the sky. Then the awful truth became clear: Challenger had been destroyed. All seven members of the crew had been lost.

Near the launch site, people stopped their cars in the street. Some cried. Others pounded their fists in anger. In schools, students and teachers stared at their televisions in shock. As families grieved and the nation reeled, one question emerged.

How could this have happened?

It was January 28, 1986. The morning was unusually chilly for Florida. The space shuttle Challenger was about to blast off. Seven crew members were strapped into their seats. They braced for the roar of the rockets that would hurtle them into space.

In many ways, this mission would be routine. Challenger was a reusable spacecraft. It was one of five that were made for the American space shuttle program, which was now in its 14th year. Each shuttle launched into space, orbited Earth, and then landed back on the ground like an airplane. They were nicknamed “space trucks.” They could carry a lot of cargo as well as many astronauts.

But there was something unique about this mission. One of the astronauts wasn’t actually an astronaut. Her name was Christa McAuliffe. She was a 37-year-old high school social studies teacher from New Hampshire. She was the first private citizen chosen for a space mission.

The whole country was excited. Just imagine! A teacher going to space! On the day of the launch, kids in classrooms across the country got ready to watch the live broadcast. Near the launch site in Cape Canaveral, Florida, crowds gathered outside. They looked up to watch what would surely be a thrilling spectacle.

Instead, they were about to witness one of the most shocking disasters in the history of the American space program.

At 11:38 a.m., the rockets fired. Plumes of white steam curled around the launchpad. Lifting Challenger off the ground and into space would take 10 tons of fuel burning every second. The shuttle rose slowly at first. Gaining speed, it rose higher and higher, glinting in the winter sun.

Then catastrophe struck.

A stream of fire shot out from one of the rockets. And 73 seconds after launch, the fuel tank exploded.

Down on the ground, spectators watched in confusion. They tried to make sense of the fireball that had suddenly appeared in the sky. Then the awful truth became clear: Challenger had been destroyed. All seven members of the crew had been lost.

How could this have happened?

Great Achievement

NASA

The Challenger crew. Back row, left to right: Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik. Front row, left to right: Michael Smith, Francis “Dick” Scobee, Ronald McNair

Since the dawn of history, humans have looked into the sky with wonder. Our earliest ancestors surely asked: What are those dots of twinkling light? What is that glowing ball that warms our days? And why does it disappear every evening?

Slowly, over thousands of years, scientific thinkers began to answer these questions. They discovered that Earth is round and that it orbits a star—our sun. They learned that our planet is one of many in our solar system, and that our solar system is in the Milky Way galaxy—one of billions of galaxies in the universe.

But it wasn’t until the mid-1900s—very, very recently in the grand sweep of human history—that sending a person into space became a possibility.

Human spaceflight is one of humanity’s greatest achievements—and one that required the hard work of many experts, from mathematicians and astronomers to chemists, physicists, and engineers.

In 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded, with a mission to explore space. NASA sent its first astronaut into space in 1961—a few weeks after Russia, then part of the Soviet Union, sent the first human ever into space, Yuri Gagarin.

Within 10 years, NASA astronauts had not only orbited Earth but also walked on the moon.

By the time Challenger was sitting on the launchpad that cold January day in 1986, the early days of human spaceflight seemed to many like the distant past. By then, NASA had sent more than 50 astronauts into space. The shuttle program had a perfect record: 24 missions, with all crew members safe. Challenger itself already had flown nine missions without a problem.

In the history of NASA, not one person had died in flight.

Until now.

Since the dawn of history, humans have looked into the sky with wonder. Our earliest ancestors surely asked: What are those twinkling dots of light? What is that glowing ball that warms our days? And why does it disappear every night?

Slowly, over thousands of years, scientific thinkers began to answer these questions. They discovered that Earth is round. They learned that it orbits a star—our sun. They also learned that our solar system has other planets. And they learned that our solar system is in the Milky Way galaxy. It’s one of billions of galaxies in the universe.

But sending a person into space wasn’t a possibility until the mid-1900s. That’s very recent in the grand sweep of human history.

Human spaceflight is one of humanity’s greatest achievements. It required the hard work of many experts—from mathematicians and astronomers to chemists, physicists, and engineers.

In 1958, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was founded. Its mission is to explore space. NASA sent its first astronaut into space in 1961- a few weeks after Russia sent the first human ever into space, Yuri Gagarin. Back then, Russia was part of the Soviet Union.

Within 10 years, NASA astronauts had orbited Earth and also walked on the moon.

By the time Challenger was ready to launch in 1986, the early days of human spaceflight seemed like the distant past to many people. NASA had already sent more than 50 astronauts into space. The shuttle program had a perfect record: 24 missions, with all crew members safe. Challenger had already flown nine missions without a problem.

In the history of NASA, not one person had died in flight.

Until now.

The Launch

The Challenger launch seemed to be plagued with issues from the start. The shuttle was originally scheduled to launch on January 26—Super Bowl Sunday. But big storms were forecast, so the launch was postponed to the next day. On January 27, the handle on a door broke. So the launch was pushed back again, to January 28.

Now there was a new problem.

Freezing air was blowing into Florida. Temperatures were predicted to plummet to 18 degrees overnight.

Should the launch go forward? Never before had a shuttle been sent up in such frigid conditions.

When the sun rose on January 28, Challenger was covered in icicles. Given the freeze, many assumed the launch would be called off.

But it wasn’t.

Around 8:00 a.m., Christa McAuliffe, along with astronauts Ronald McNair, Francis “Dick” Scobee, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik, had a breakfast of steak and eggs, a NASA tradition. They must have been excited for the mission ahead. They would be placing two satellites into orbit, one to study a comet and one for communications.

Of course, what made the mission especially thrilling for the public was McAuliffe herself. She had been selected for the new Teacher in Space program out of more than 11,000 applicants. She would be teaching two lessons from orbit. (“The ultimate field trip,” she said.) Classrooms across the country would be watching live.

Sitting on the launchpad, its nose pointed toward the clear blue sky, Challenger looked like a gigantic bird. At 122 feet, the shuttle was longer than a basketball court.

And already, Challenger was doomed.

The Challenger launch seemed to be troubled from the start. The shuttle was originally scheduled to launch on January 26—Super Bowl Sunday. But big storms were forecast. So the launch was postponed to the next day. On January 27, the handle on a door broke. So the launch was pushed back again, to January 28.

Now there was a new problem.

Freezing air was blowing into Florida. Temperatures might drop to 18 degrees overnight.

Should the launch go forward?

A shuttle had never before been sent up in such cold conditions.

When the sun rose on January 28, Challenger was covered in icicles. Given the freeze, many thought the launch would be called off.

But it wasn’t.

Around 8:00 a.m., Christa McAuliffe

and the other astronauts—Ronald McNair, Francis “Dick” Scobee, Michael Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik—had a breakfast of steak and eggs. It was a NASA tradition. They must have been excited for the mission ahead. They would be placing two satellites into orbit—one to study a comet and one for communications.

But what made the mission thrilling for the public was McAuliffe. She had been selected from more than 11,000 applicants for the new Teacher in Space program. She would be teaching two lessons from orbit. (“The ultimate field trip,” she said.) Classrooms across the country would be watching live.

On the launchpad, Challenger looked like a huge bird with its nose pointed toward the clear blue sky. At 122 feet, the shuttle was longer than a basketball court.

And already, Challenger was doomed.

Dire Warnings

What many people did not know is that the night before the disaster, a group of engineers had urged NASA not to launch. These engineers worked for a company called Morton Thiokol. NASA had hired them to design the two solid rocket boosters for the shuttle program.

At the time, the rockets were the most powerful that NASA had ever used, offering the explosive energy needed to lift the shuttle off the ground. They were designed to burn until they ran out of fuel, then drop off and fall into the ocean. After each mission, the rockets were pulled from the water, studied, and reused.

But the engineers had observed something troubling. On previous missions, some of the rockets pulled from the sea had burn marks on the sides. That meant burning rocket fuel was leaking—and a major explosion could occur. The risk seemed to be greater in cold weather.

One engineer was so worried that a few months before Challenger’s launch, he had warned of “a catastrophe of the highest order—a loss of human life.”

His warning went largely ignored.

Now on the phone with NASA, the Thiokol engineers were clear: Do not launch. They sent charts and data to explain why.

For NASA, the urgency to launch overshadowed these dire warnings. The whole country was watching. Plus, the shuttle program had already faced setbacks. It was behind schedule, and it was costing more than expected. Another delay would also mean that McAuliffe’s lessons would take place on Saturday, when no one was at school.

The engineers and NASA debated for two hours. But NASA manager Lawrence Mulloy was not persuaded by the evidence.

In the end, Thiokol changed its recommendation. Leaders at the company were concerned that if NASA wasn’t happy with them, Thiokol could lose millions of dollars in future business. At Mulloy’s request, a Thiokol vice president signed a document saying that the launch should go forward.

Allan McDonald, the director of the rocket program at Thiokol, was shocked. He refused to sign off on the launch.

“If anything happens to this launch,” he said, “I wouldn’t want to be the person that has to stand in front of a board of inquiry to explain why we launched.”

The next morning, McDonald watched Challenger blast off with a sense of dread. Then his worst fears came true.

Something happened the night before the disaster that not many people knew about. A group of engineers had urged NASA not to launch. These engineers worked for a company called Morton Thiokol. NASA had hired them to design the solid rocket boosters for the shuttle program.

At the time, the rockets were the most powerful that NASA had ever used. They were designed to burn until they ran out of fuel. Then they would drop off and fall into the ocean. After each mission, the rockets were pulled from the water, studied, and reused.

But the engineers had noticed something troubling. On previous missions, some of the rockets pulled from the sea had burn marks on the sides. That meant burning rocket fuel was leaking. A major explosion could occur. The risk seemed to be greater in cold weather.

One engineer was very worried. A few months before Challenger’s launch, he warned of “a catastrophe of the highest order—a loss of human life.”

His warning went mostly ignored.

Now on the phone with NASA, the Thiokol engineers were clear: Do not launch. They sent charts and data to explain why.

For NASA, the urgency to launch seemed stronger than these warnings. The whole country was watching. Plus, the shuttle program had already faced setbacks. It was behind schedule. It was costing more than expected. Another delay would also mean that McAuliffe’s lessons would take place on Saturday. No one would be at school.

The engineers and NASA debated for two hours. But NASA manager Lawrence Mulloy was not persuaded by the evidence.

In the end, Thiokol changed its recommendation. Leaders at the company did not want to upset NASA. They didn’t want Thiokol to lose millions of dollars in future business. At Mulloy’s request, a Thiokol vice president signed a document. It said that the launch should go forward.

Allan McDonald was the director of the rocket program at Thiokol.
He was shocked. He refused to sign off on the launch.

“If anything happens to this launch,” he said, “I wouldn’t want to be the person that has to stand in front of a board of inquiry to explain why we launched.”

The next morning, McDonald’s worst fears came true.

The Investigation

The Challenger tragedy shook the country. Ask anyone who was alive in 1986 where they were that day, and they can probably tell you. People wanted answers.

President Ronald Reagan appointed a commission to investigate what had happened—and how such a disaster could be prevented from happening again. The commission included scientists, astronauts, and Congress members.

During the investigation, Mulloy told the commission that everyone had agreed the cold temperatures would not be a problem for the rocket boosters—and that he wasn’t aware of any documents about such concerns.

That frustrated and angered McDonald, who was sitting in the room. Determined to have the full truth come out, he stood up, waving. Then he marched to the front and told everyone that Thiokol engineers had, in fact, recommended against launching. And they had provided data showing why.

It was a shocking revelation—and an important one.

In the weeks that followed, many people testified. The process was painful but necessary. After all, seven people had lost their lives in a disaster that might have been prevented.

When the investigation was complete, the commission delivered a report that was more than 200 pages long. It confirmed that the cause of the catastrophe was a failure in one of the rocket boosters—specifically, the O-rings. The O-rings were meant to stop burning rocket fuel from leaking. But in cold weather—like on the day of the launch—O-rings become brittle and stop working. Even more troubling was that this problem had been well documented.

The O-rings were not the only issue cited in the report, however. The commission said that the culture within NASA needed to change. The shuttle program’s schedule was too ambitious—NASA was trying to launch too often to be safe. There needed to be better communication and more rigorous testing. And NASA needed a better way to make important decisions.

As one astronaut put it, “Don’t prove that you’re not ready for launch. Prove that you are.”

Would a space shuttle ever fly again?

The Challenger tragedy shook the country. Anyone who was alive in 1986 could probably tell you where they were that day. People wanted answers.

President Ronald Reagan created a commission to investigate why the disaster happened—and how to prevent another one. The commission included scientists, astronauts, and Congress members.

During the investigation, Mulloy told the commission that everyone had agreed the cold temperatures wouldn’t be a problem for the rocket boosters. He said he wasn’t aware of documents about such concerns.

That frustrated and angered McDonald who was in the room. He wanted the full truth to come out. He stood up, waving. Then he marched to the front. He told everyone that Thiokol engineers had, in fact, said not to launch. And they had provided data showing why.

It was a shocking revelation—and an important one.

In the weeks that followed, many people testified. The process was painful but necessary. After all, seven people had lost their lives. And the disaster perhaps could have been prevented.

After the investigation, the commission delivered a report. It was more than 200 pages long. It confirmed that the cause of the catastrophe was a failure in one of the rocket boosters—specifically, the O-rings. The O-rings were meant to stop burning rocket fuel from leaking. But in cold weather—like on the day of the launch—O-rings become brittle. They stop working. Even more troubling was that this problem had been well documented.

The O-rings were not the only issue cited in the report, however. The commission said that the culture within NASA needed to change. The shuttle program’s schedule was too ambitious. NASA was trying to launch too often to be safe. There needed to be better communication. There needed to be more rigorous testing. And NASA needed a better way to make important decisions.

As one astronaut put it, “Don’t prove that you’re not ready for launch. Prove that you are.”

Would a space shuttle ever fly again?

The Legacy

It would be nearly three years before another shuttle launched. During that time, NASA made many important changes. McDonald oversaw the design of new solid rocket boosters. He personally crawled inside each one to inspect it. The new rockets never failed.

The space shuttle program continued until 2011, flying more than 100 missions. Its legacy is extraordinary. A space shuttle carried the Hubble Space Telescope, which has offered us never-before-seen glimpses into the cosmos. Space shuttles carried equipment and astronauts who helped build the International Space Station (ISS). These are just a few of the shuttle program’s many accomplishments.

Today, 37 years after Challenger, you are growing up in another exciting age of space exploration. As you read this, plans are underway to build a permanent base on the moon. And humans could be walking on Mars within your lifetime.

But the Challenger tragedy has not been forgotten. Memorials to the crew can be found across the country. McAuliffe’s students have always remembered her; many of them grew up to become teachers themselves. And a few months after the disaster, the families of the crew founded the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. To date, more than 5 million kids around the globe have gone through its programs.

On the evening of the Challenger disaster, President Reagan spoke to the nation from the Oval Office. He offered words of comfort to the families of the crew, to NASA, and to the countless students who had been watching the launch.

“The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave,” he said. “The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.”

The space shuttle program continued until 2011. It flew more than 100 missions. Its legacy is extraordinary. A space shuttle carried the Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope offered us never-before-seen glimpses into the cosmos. Space shuttles carried equipment and astronauts who helped build the International Space Station (ISS). These are just a few of the program’s many accomplishments.

Today, 37 years after Challenger, you are growing up in another exciting age of space exploration.
As you read this, plans are underway to build a permanent base on the moon. And humans could be walking on Mars within your lifetime.

But the Challenger tragedy has not been forgotten. Memorials to the crew can be found across the country. McAuliffe’s students have always remembered her. Many of them grew up to become teachers. And a few months after the disaster, the families of the crew founded the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. More than 5 million kids around the world have gone through its programs.

On the evening of the Challenger disaster, President Reagan spoke to the nation. He offered words of comfort to the families of the crew, to NASA, and to the countless students who had been watching the launch.

“The future doesn’t belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave,” he said. “The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we’ll continue to follow them.”

Writing Prompt

Write a poem or create a work of art that honors the Challenger mission and its impact on space exploration.

Writing Prompt

Write a poem or create a work of art that honors the Challenger mission and its impact on space exploration.

^{This article was originally published in the December 2022/January 2023 issue.}

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Activities (16)

Quizzes (1)

Answer Key (1)

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Slideshows (2)

Audio ()

Activities (16)

Quizzes (1)

Answer Key (1)

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Connected Reading

5. Support for Multilingual Learners

Essential questions: What drives humans to explore? What is the universe, and what is Earth’s place in it? What can we learn from the past? What is the value of space exploration?

1. PREPARING TO READ (25 MINUTES)

Do Now: Anticipation Guide (5 minutes)

Project the Anticipation Guide (available in your Resources tab) on your whiteboard or share the print or Google Forms version with each student. Have students decide whether they agree or disagree with each statement, then discuss. After reading the article, ask students to share whether any of their answers have changed and, if so, why.

Watch a Video (10 minutes)

Watch the Behind the Scenes video, in which author Kristin Lewis talks about her research and writing process. Have students respond to the Video Discussion Questions (available in your Resources tab) in small groups or as a class.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

Project the Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice. Review the definitions as a class. Highlighted words: brittle, cosmos, commission, engineers, orbited, rigorous. Optionally, print or share the interactive link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity before class. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud are embedded in the interactive slides.

Do Now: Anticipation Guide (5 minutes)

Project the Anticipation Guide (available in your Resources tab) on your whiteboard or share the print or Google Forms version with each student. Have students decide whether they agree or disagree with each statement, then discuss. After reading the article, ask students to share whether any of their answers have changed and, if so, why.

Watch a Video (10 minutes)

Watch the Behind the Scenes video, in which author Kristin Lewis talks about her research and writing process. Have students respond to the Video Discussion Questions (available in your Resources tab) in small groups or as a class.

Preview Vocabulary (10 minutes)

Project the Vocabulary: Definitions and Practice. Review the definitions as a class. Highlighted words: brittle, cosmos, commission, engineers, orbited, rigorous. Optionally, print or share the interactive link directly to your LMS and have students preview the words and complete the activity before class. Audio pronunciations of the words and a read-aloud are embedded in the interactive slides.

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (50 MINUTES)

Invite a volunteer to read the As You Read box on page 5 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version or the Spanish version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to author Kristin Lewis read her article aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following close-reading questions.

Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)

What was ordinary about the Challenger mission? What was extraordinary about it? (key ideas and details) What made the mission ordinary was that Challenger was one of five reusable spacecraft used in a shuttle program that was in its 14th year. The shuttles had already had 24 successful missions, and Challenger itself had been to space nine times already. What made this mission extraordinary was its special crew, which included the first private citizen to go on a space mission—a teacher named Christa McAuliffe. Kids would be tuning in across the nation to see her teach lessons from orbit. This made this mission especially thrilling for the public.
What big ideas does the section “Great Achievement” help readers understand? (key ideas and details) This section helps readers understand how short and recent the era of human spaceflight and exploration is in the vast timeline of human history. It also helps readers understand how successful NASA’s spaceflight program had been prior to 1986.
Consider the quote Lewis includes from Thiokol engineer Allan McDonald: “If anything happens to this launch, I wouldn’t want to be the person that has to stand in front of a board of inquiry to explain why we launched.” What did he mean? Why did NASA go ahead with the launch? (interpreting text, key ideas and details) McDonald meant that if something went wrong with Challenger and there was an investigation, there would be no way to justify the decision to launch. In other words, he was saying that launching was too big a risk and the reasons for going ahead with it were not defensible. NASA went ahead with the launch because of the pressure to stay on schedule and keep costs down. Leaders at Thiokol agreed to support the launch to make Mulloy happy and avoid losing millions of dollars in future business with NASA.
What role did the weather play in the catastrophe? (cause and effect) First, stormy weather postponed the original launch date. Then, on the night before Challenger was set to launch, Florida was hit by extreme cold weather. Temperatures were well below freezing, and on the morning of the launch, Challenger was covered in icicles. It was this frigid weather that caused the O-rings to become brittle and stop working, resulting in the leak of burning fuel and the catastrophic explosion.
What did NASA learn it needed to change as a result of the Challenger disaster? (cause and effect) NASA learned it was launching too often, and that it needed better communication, testing, and decision-making processes. NASA also had its solid rocket boosters redesigned.
The root spect- means “to look at or examine.” Find two words in the article with the root spect- and use context clues to figure out the meaning of the words. Can you think of any other spect- words? (vocabulary) 1. “ . . . crowds gathered outside, eyes cast to the sky to watch what would surely be a thrilling spectacle.” Spectacle means “a visually striking performance or display.” 2. “Down on the ground, spectators watched in confusion . . . ” Spectator means “a person who watches at a show, game, or other event.” Other spect- words include spectacular, spectacles, perspective, inspector, retrospect, and spectrum.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

According to Lewis, how much interest did the public have in space exploration at the time of the Challenger mission. How do you think the public’s interest then compares with the public’s interest in space exploration today? Lewis explains that the Challenger mission completely captured the public’s interest and attention. Students may say that today, NASA’s missions continue to capture public interest, such as the excitement surrounding the launch of the James Webb Telescope (Hubble’s successor) and DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft this year. Additionally, today there are multiple private companies (Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX, for example) achieving feats in space travel, including taking private civilians into space.

Consider the quote from President Ronald Reagan in the final lines of the article. What did he mean? How was the Challenger crew “pulling us into the future”? How have we continued to follow them into the future? Reagan meant there can be no great accomplishment or advancement without risk, and that it takes great courage to push boundaries and bring about change. When he said that the Challenger crew was “pulling us into the future,” he meant that the crew’s mission was helping humankind on our journey to greater knowledge and ability in the exploration of space. The nation continued to follow the Challenger crew into the future by not shutting down the space shuttle program; shock and sadness evolved into a renewed sense of determination, and another shuttle launched three years later. Today, we continue to follow the crew by continuing to push the boundaries of exploration and discovery, with plans to build a base on the moon and eventually travel to Mars.

In what ways, if any, do you think differently about space exploration after reading this article? Do you think space exploration is valuable? Answers will vary.

Invite a volunteer to read the As You Read box on page 5 of the magazine or at the top of the digital story page.
Read the article once as a class. (Differentiation: Share the lower-Lexile version or the Spanish version of the article.) Optionally, have students listen to author Kristin Lewis read her article aloud while they follow along. The audio read-aloud is located in the Resources tab in Teacher View and at the top of the story page in Student View.
Divide students into groups to read the article again and respond to the following close-reading questions.

Close-Reading Questions (20 minutes)

What was ordinary about the Challenger mission? What was extraordinary about it? (key ideas and details) What made the mission ordinary was that Challenger was one of five reusable spacecraft used in a shuttle program that was in its 14th year. The shuttles had already had 24 successful missions, and Challenger itself had been to space nine times already. What made this mission extraordinary was its special crew, which included the first private citizen to go on a space mission—a teacher named Christa McAuliffe. Kids would be tuning in across the nation to see her teach lessons from orbit. This made this mission especially thrilling for the public.

What big ideas does the section “Great Achievement” help readers understand? (key ideas and details) This section helps readers understand how short and recent the era of human spaceflight and exploration is in the vast timeline of human history. It also helps readers understand how successful NASA’s spaceflight program had been prior to 1986.

Consider the quote Lewis includes from Thiokol engineer Allan McDonald: “If anything happens to this launch, I wouldn’t want to be the person that has to stand in front of a board of inquiry to explain why we launched.” What did he mean? Why did NASA go ahead with the launch? (interpreting text, key ideas and details) McDonald meant that if something went wrong with Challenger and there was an investigation, there would be no way to justify the decision to launch. In other words, he was saying that launching was too big a risk and the reasons for going ahead with it were not defensible. NASA went ahead with the launch because of the pressure to stay on schedule and keep costs down. Leaders at Thiokol agreed to support the launch to make Mulloy happy and avoid losing millions of dollars in future business with NASA.

What role did the weather play in the catastrophe? (cause and effect) First, stormy weather postponed the original launch date. Then, on the night before Challenger was set to launch, Florida was hit by extreme cold weather. Temperatures were well below freezing, and on the morning of the launch, Challenger was covered in icicles. It was this frigid weather that caused the O-rings to become brittle and stop working, resulting in the leak of burning fuel and the catastrophic explosion.

What did NASA learn it needed to change as a result of the Challenger disaster? (cause and effect) NASA learned it was launching too often, and that it needed better communication, testing, and decision-making processes. NASA also had its solid rocket boosters redesigned.

The root spect- means “to look at or examine.” Find two words in the article with the root spect- and use context clues to figure out the meaning of the words. Can you think of any other spect- words? (vocabulary) 1. “ ... crowds gathered outside, eyes cast to the sky to watch what would surely be a thrilling spectacle.” Spectacle means “a visually striking performance or display.” 2. “Down on the ground, spectators watched in confusion ... ” Spectator means “a person who watches at a show, game, or other event.” Other spect- words include spectacular, spectacles, perspective, inspector, retrospect, and spectrum.

Critical-Thinking Questions (10 minutes)

According to Lewis, how much interest did the public have in space exploration at the time of the Challenger mission. How do you think the public’s interest then compares with the public’s interest in space exploration today? Lewis explains that the Challenger mission completely captured the public’s interest and attention. Students may say that today, NASA’s missions continue to capture public interest, such as the excitement surrounding the launch of the James Webb Telescope (Hubble’s successor) and DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) spacecraft this year. Additionally, today there are multiple private companies (Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX, for example) achieving feats in space travel, including taking private civilians into space.

Consider the quote from President Ronald Reagan in the final lines of the article. What did he mean? How was the Challenger crew “pulling us into the future”? How have we continued to follow them into the future? Reagan meant there can be no great accomplishment or advancement without risk, and that it takes great courage to push boundaries and bring about change. When he said that the Challenger crew was “pulling us into the future,” he meant that the crew’s mission was helping humankind on our journey to greater knowledge and ability in the exploration of space. The nation continued to follow the Challenger crew into the future by not shutting down the space shuttle program; shock and sadness evolved into a renewed sense of determination, and another shuttle launched three years later. Today, we continue to follow the crew by continuing to push the boundaries of exploration and discovery, with plans to build a base on the moon and eventually travel to Mars.

In what ways, if any, do you think differently about space exploration after reading this article? Do you think space exploration is valuable? Answers will vary.

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)

Have students complete the Writing Planner: The Challenger Mission. This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the activity on page 10 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

Have students complete the Writing Planner: The Challenger Mission. This activity will help them organize their ideas in preparation for the activity on page 10 in the printed magazine and at the bottom of the digital story page.
Alternatively, have students choose a culminating task from the Choice Board, a menu of differentiated activities.

4. CONNECTED READING

Connected readings from the Scope archives:

Special Collection: The Wonders of Space

Connected readings from the Scope archives:

Special Collection: The Wonders of Space

5. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

Yes/No Questions

Ask students to demonstrate comprehension with a very simple answer.

Is the weather usually cold in Florida? No, it isn’t.
Was Christa McAuliffe an astronaut? No, she wasn’t.
Had Challenger ever been to space before? Yes, it had.
In the history of NASA, had anyone ever died in flight before the Challenger disaster? No, they hadn’t.
Was the public watching the Challenger’s launch? Yes, it was.

Either/Or Questions

Encourage students to use language from the question in their answer.

Did human spaceflight begin thousands of years ago or in the 1960s? Spaceflight began in the 1960s.
Were the shuttles’ rockets destroyed after each launch or reused? The rockets were pulled from the water, studied, and reused.
Did the Thiokol engineers feel worried or excited about the Challenger’s launch? The Thiokol engineers felt worried about the Challenger’s launch.
Did NASA listen to the engineers’ warnings or ignore them? NASA ignored the engineers’ warnings and asked Thiokol to change its recommendation against launching.
After the Challenger tragedy, did the space shuttle program end or continue? The space shuttle program continued until 2011.

Short-Answer Questions

Challenge students to produce simple answers on their own.

What was the cause of the catastrophe? The cause of the catastrophe was a failure in one of the rocket boosters. An O-ring meant to keep burning fuel from leaking became brittle in the cold weather and stopped working.
What did NASA learn it needed to change? NASA learned it was launching too often and that it needed better communication, testing, and decision making. NASA also redesigned its solid rocket boosters.

Language-Acquisition Springboard: Practice reading punctuation to improve fluency.

Pair students up and have them take turns saying these lines to each other: “I have wonderful news!” And “Really? What’s your news?” Discuss the natural way to speak a line that ends with an exclamation point (with strong feeling) and a line that ends with a question mark (voice goes up in pitch at the end). Next, have students practice saying these lines from the article:

“Just imagine! A teacher going to space!”
“How could this have happened?”
“Our earliest ancestors surely asked: What are those dots of twinkling light? What is that glowing orange ball that warms our days? And why does it disappear every evening?”
“Would a space shuttle ever fly again?”

Explain that italics are letters that slant to the right and are used in many ways. In this article they are used in two ways: to emphasize certain words, and for names of vehicles such as trains, ships, and spaceships—in this case, the space shuttle Challenger. Practice saying the following lines from the article, reading the italicized words with more emphasis than the rest of the words in that statement as appropriate.

“But there was something unique about this mission.”
“At 11:38 a.m., Challenger’s rockets fired.
“Now on the phone with NASA, the Thiokol engineers were clear: Do not launch.”
“As one astronaut put it, ‘Don’t prove that you’re not ready for launch. Prove that you are.’”
“But the Challenger tragedy has not been forgotten.”

Yes/No Questions

Ask students to demonstrate comprehension with a very simple answer.

Is the weather usually cold in Florida? No, it isn’t.
Was Christa McAuliffe an astronaut? No, she wasn’t.
Had Challenger ever been to space before? Yes, it had.
In the history of NASA, had anyone ever died in flight before the Challenger disaster? No, they hadn’t.
Was the public watching the Challenger’s launch? Yes, it was.

Either/Or Questions

Encourage students to use language from the question in their answer.

Did human spaceflight begin thousands of years ago or in the 1960s? Spaceflight began in the 1960s.
Were the shuttles’ rockets destroyed after each launch or reused? The rockets were pulled from the water, studied, and reused.
Did the Thiokol engineers feel worried or excited about the Challenger’s launch? The Thiokol engineers felt worried about the Challenger’s launch.
Did NASA listen to the engineers’ warnings or ignore them? NASA ignored the engineers’ warnings and asked Thiokol to change its recommendation against launching.
After the Challenger tragedy, did the space shuttle program end or continue? The space shuttle program continued until 2011.

Short-Answer Questions

Challenge students to produce simple answers on their own.

What was the cause of the catastrophe? The cause of the catastrophe was a failure in one of the rocket boosters. An O-ring meant to keep burning fuel from leaking became brittle in the cold weather and stopped working.
What did NASA learn it needed to change? NASA learned it was launching too often and that it needed better communication, testing, and decision making. NASA also redesigned its solid rocket boosters.

Language-Acquisition Springboard: Practice reading punctuation to improve fluency.

“Just imagine! A teacher going to space!”
“How could this have happened?”
“Our earliest ancestors surely asked: What are those dots of twinkling light? What is that glowing orange ball that warms our days? And why does it disappear every evening?”
“Would a space shuttle ever fly again?”

“But there was something unique about this mission.”
“At 11:38 a.m., Challenger’s rockets fired.
“Now on the phone with NASA, the Thiokol engineers were clear: Do not launch.”
“As one astronaut put it, ‘Don’t prove that you’re not ready for launch. Prove that you are.’”
“But the Challenger tragedy has not been forgotten.”

Text-to-Speech

Disaster in the Sky

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Connected Reading

5. Support for Multilingual Learners

1. PREPARING TO READ (25 MINUTES)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (50 MINUTES)

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)

4. CONNECTED READING

5. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

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Disaster in the Sky

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Table of Contents

1. Preparing to Read 2. Reading and Discussing 3. Skill Building and Writing 4. Connected Reading 5. Support for Multilingual Learners

1. PREPARING TO READ (25 MINUTES)

2. READING AND DISCUSSING (50 MINUTES)

3. SKILL BUILDING AND WRITING (30 MINUTES)

4. CONNECTED READING

5. SUPPORT FOR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS

Help/Support

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About Us

Subscriber Information

Connect with Us

1. Preparing to Read

2. Reading and Discussing

3. Skill Building and Writing

4. Connected Reading

5. Support for Multilingual Learners