This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing the 1986 Challenger Explosion. This was an absolutely tragic incident in American history in which the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after lift-off, killing all seven of its crew members. This incident was exceptionally devastating because one of the passengers onboard wasn’t a NASA astronaut. Rather, a thirty-seven year old school teacher named Christa McAuliffe was onboard that day as part of NASA’s Teacher in Space Project; an effort to get the American people interested in the NASA Program once again. But of course, the most devastating and most disturbing part of this whole disaster is the fact that NASA knew of a historic problem with the O-ring seals on the solid rocket booster and had received correspondence from the manufacturer that they anticipated that the launch would end in catastrophe. NASA had the ability to halt the launch, and yet, they refused, sending seven people to their deaths in front of millions of people (many of which were children who were tuning in as part of their school day on account of McAuliffe being a member of the crew).A special THANK YOU to our Hashtag History listeners -- Jeff, Christa, and Mike -- who so graciously shared with us their first-hand experiences of watching the Challenger explosion in live time. We cannot tell you what it means to us that you shared these stories with us and with our audience. Thank you so much!Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and LeahMusic track: Falling by AylexSource: https://freetouse.com/musicCopyright Free Music (Free Download)

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