Space Shuttle Disaster

Challenger : Tuesday, January 28, 1986, when the Space Shuttle Challenger (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven crew members aboard. Mission : STS-51-L

Columbia : Saturday, February 1, 2003, when the Space Shuttle Columbia (OV-102) disintegrated as it reentered the atmosphere, killing all seven crew members. Misssion : STS-107

Space Shuttle Challenger (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-099) was the second orbiter of NASA's Space Shuttle program to be put into service, after Columbia. Challenger was built by Rockwell International's Space Transportation Systems Division, in Downey, California. Its maiden flight, STS-6, began on April 4, 1983. The orbiter was launched and landed nine times before disintegrating 73 seconds into its tenth mission, STS-51-L, on January 28, 1986, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members including a civilian school teacher.

OV designation : OV-099
Country : United States
Contract award : January 1, 1979
Named after : HMS Challenger (1858)
Status : Destroyed January 28, 1986
First flight : STS-6, April 4–9, 1983
Last flight : STS-51-L, January 28, 1986
No. of missions : 10
Time spent in space : 62 days 07:56:22[1]
No. of orbits : 995
Distance travelled : 25,803,939 mi (41,527,414 km)
Satellites deployed : 10

The Space Shuttle Columbia (Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first space-rated orbiter in NASA's Space Shuttle fleet. It launched for the first time on mission STS-1 on April 12, 1981, the first flight of the Space Shuttle program. Serving for over 22 years, it completed 27 missions before disintegrating during re-entry near the end of its 28th mission, STS-107 on February 1, 2003, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.

OV designation : OV-102

Country : United States

Contract award : July 26, 1972

Named after : Columbia (1773)

Status Destroyed : February 1, 2003

First flight : STS-1, April 12, 1981 – April 14, 1981

Last flight : STS-107, January 16, 2003 – February 1, 2003

No. of missions : 28

Crew members : 160

Time spent in space : 300 days 17:40:22[2]

No. of orbits : 4,808

Distance travelled : 201,497,772 km (125,204,911 miles)

Satellites deployed : 8