3 Crew Members of Doomed NASA Challenger Likely ‘Fully Conscious’ After Surviving Explosion and Before Plummeting to Their Deaths

Some of the astronauts on board the doomed NASA Challenger space shuttle were still alive when the spacecraft exploded and were probably "fully conscious" when they plummeted to their deaths following the vehicle's disintegration, according to a book.

Doomed NASA Challenger's Astronauts

A book opened the eyes to the horrifying last minutes of the eight people on board the shuttle that broke apart live on television on Jan. 28, 1986, 73 seconds into the flight. On board that tragic day were crew members Michael Smith, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Francis (Dick) Scobee, Judith Resnik, Christa McAuliffe, and Gregory Jarvis.

In "The Burning Blue: The Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and NASA's Challenger," author Kevin Cook writes that the crew was likely "conscious, at least at first, and fully aware that something was wrong." Interestingly, the cabin's interior remained intact after the explosion because heat-resistant silicon tiles kept the interior from burning. It launched into the sky, exposing everyone on board to 17 more Gs of force than they prepared for.

According to Cook, an examination revealed this would have been a survivable situation with a "low" probability of damage. Additionally, there was no indication of a sudden depressurization that could have exhausted the crew.

The investigation revealed that the O-ring seals, which were not accustomed to the abnormally low temperatures, failed, resulting in the calamity. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that three astronauts had activated their backup air supply, indicating that some crew members had made it through the initial explosion.

The cabin descended 12 miles to the sea in about two minutes, reaching a terminal velocity of over 200 miles per hour. It's possible that several of the tragic passengers on the shuttle were fully conscious that they were falling to their deaths.

Christa McAuliffe, who at 37 became the first teacher in space, is the subject of Cook's book. The catastrophe resulted in a 32-month suspension of the Space Shuttle mission. The launch date of the following shuttle, Discovery, was set for Sept. 29, 1988. 2011 saw the program's permanent termination.

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Who Is Gregory Jarvis?

Greg Jarvis was an enthusiastic cyclist and squash player. In addition, he loved white water river rafting, racquetball, camping, and cross-country skiing. He picked up a classical guitar to unwind.

Raytheon employed Jarvis in Bedford, Massachusetts, where he worked on the SAM-D missile's circuit design while obtaining his master's degree at Northeastern. He joined the Air Force in July 1969 and was stationed in El Segundo, California's Space Division.

As a Communications Payload Engineer, he worked on cutting-edge tactical communications satellites at the Satellite Communications Program Office. He worked on the FLTSATCOM communications payload during its early design phase, supplier selection, and concept creation. He joined the Space and Communications group of Hughes Aircraft Company after receiving an honorable discharge from the Air Force in 1973 with the rank of Captain. There, he worked as a Communications Subsystem Engineer on the MARISAT Program.

Jarvis served as a payload specialist during the launch of STS 51-L from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 28, 1986, at 11:38:00 EST. Jarvis and the rest of the crew died when the Orbiter Challenger exploded.