On January 28, 1986, just 73 seconds after liftoff, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven crewmembers. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew and, like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster became a defining moment of 20th-century history.
In his new book, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space, Adam Higginbotham paints a compelling tale of ambition and ingenuity undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting – and the ensuing investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light.
Adam Higginbotham’s work has appeared in The New Yorker, Wired, Smithsonian, and elsewhere. He is the author of the award-winning book, Midnight in Chernobyl.