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On the morning of January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger (mission STS-51-L) launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was the 25th shuttle mission and carried high hopes, particularly because it included Christa McAuliffe, chosen to be the first teacher in space. Just 73 seconds after liftoff, the shuttle broke apart in mid-air, claiming the lives of all seven crew members. The disaster was caused by the failure of an O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster, which had become brittle due to the unusually cold temperatures that morning.