Challenger (1990) - full transcript

[LOGO MUSIC]

NARRATOR: The
following dramatization

is based on personal interviews,
books, newspapers, magazine

accounts, and the reports of
the Presidential Commission

and the House Committee on
the Challenger accident.

This picture was researched
with the consultation

of the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration

and was filmed at the
Johnson Space Center

and at Clear Lake, Texas.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Hello.



I'm Christa McAuliffe,
talking to you

from the flight deck of the
space shuttle Challenger.

We're in orbit now and
we've just stowed our seats.

Since we're weightless, we won't
be bolting them back in again

until our return to Earth.

Let me tell you being
launched into space

is every bit as thrilling
as they said it would be.

When those main engines
ignite, and right

after them the solid
rocket boosters

and you're just hurled
upwards, well, it's

something unusual in this
school teacher's life.

By the time the shuttle
reaches the top of the tower,

you're going 100 miles an hour.

Two minutes later,
you're leaving the earth



at 3,000 miles an hour.

3,312.5.

I knew that.

She's within 10%.

That's good enough
for high school.

Not in my class.

I'll vouch for that.

I watch her correct
her homework papers.

All right, class,
order, order.

Please, Christa, go on.

Now I'd like you
to meet our crew.

This is the flight deck and
on my left is our commander

Richard Scobee.

We call him Scobe.

He's one of the few enlisted
men to have become an astronaut,

and we're very proud
that he's our commander.

Boy, look at those
lovebirds holding hands.

Frightening.

Don't make fun of romance,
honey, or I'll go and knock you

upside your head,
dear country boy.

Well?

Come on, let her rehearse.

Well, who's next, Christa?

On my right is my
husband Stephen McAuliffe.

He'll be-- oh, no, honey,
you won't be on the flight.

I'll be home doing
the breakfast dishes.

Wait a minute.

Let's put some order into this.

The man really on her right
will be our pilot Michael Smith.

And I'm Judy Resnick,
the flight engineer.

And she sits right
behind Scobe and me

and during the ascent phase
and on our return to Earth,

she watches us to make sure
that we do everything right,

and everybody else watches her.

Except you, I'm sure.

Except me, of course.

I'm always looking
over at you, hon.

I'm getting to like
this role, Christa.

You play the flight engineer.

Take it, JR.

And now, from the coffee
fields of the Kona coast,

one of the macadamia nuts--

And the man who still thinks
I shouldn't be on this mission.

That's right.

What do you have
against us teachers, El?

Hey, nothing against teachers.

Hey, wait, let
me introduce him.

Mission specialist,
Ellison Onizuka.

Come on, El, give us
your deepest thoughts.

You'll feel better.

Well, we just scrubbed
for the second time.

Why?

Because the shuttle is the most
complicated machine ever built.

You know, they call it
operational, but it isn't.

It's still experimental.

I'm going whatever they
call it, so move over, El.

And if it's experimental,
only professional astronauts

should be flying it,
which doesn't mean I

won't enjoy going with Christa.

What about me, El?

Glad to be flying with me?

Oh, no, you're too
much of an achiever.

You've got all these
doctorates from MIT.

Hey, what are you, a pineapple
picker from Kealakekua?

All right, let's get
back on track here.

NASA's number one
laser physicist,

the man who launched
our Spartan satellite

to photograph Halley's comet--

And the sweetest sax
player this side of Mars.

Mission specialist,
Ron McNair.

And don't forget, El,
black belt in karate.

Show him, honey.

Kick some butt.

And finally, from
Hughes Aircraft,

my fellow outsider on
the flight, Greg Jarvis.

That's my hero.

All right, Christa,
that was perfect chaos.

Flawless, actually.

You'll be fine when you
do it from space tomorrow.

I wish we didn't have
to wait until tomorrow.

I could go out right
now and get on board.

Well, I wouldn't quite yet.

The way I see this weather, none
of us will be flying tomorrow.

I know everybody's
a little frustrated.

It's our fourth scrub
in the last month,

but let's work on a
quick turnaround, huh?

Any contractor see any change
in their flight readiness?

Uh-uhn.

No.

OK.

Let's schedule launch for
0938 tomorrow morning.

Now, very important,
extremely cold

temperatures, into the low 20s,
have been forecast for tonight.

How will this
affect each of you?

Lockheed?

If temperatures get
down to the low 20s,

we'll have a hard
freeze for sure.

We've never launched at
anything close to that.

I'll have to get more
information, Arnie.

Rockwell?

We need to figure these
temperatures into our data,

but it looks possible.

Larry?

Oh, I can't give
a definite yet.

I want to find out
if this kind of cold

would trigger a
violation of the launch

commit criteria on the
solid rocket boosters.

All right.

Jesse and I will be
in the ops center.

Lewis, get me the firing room.

Right.

Right, Arnie.

24 hour turnaround,
go with a soft count.

Right, Gene.

4, 3, 2, and--

there it goes, folks.

Countdown has begun.

[CHEERING]

Wondering what it's going
to be like up there, Christa?

No, I was back in the past.

Six months ago, the
day I was chosen.

I was a small town
schoolteacher.

The closest I'd ever
been to flying anything

was the coach section
of an airliner.

I never could have imagined
that I'd be here now the night

before a launch,
all of us having

become the family that we are.

Any of you remember what
you were doing July 19th?

Sweating.

That's the main thing you
do in Houston on July 19th.

I think Lorna was giving
me problems on July 19th,

but that could
have been any day.

What were you
remembering, Christa?

I'd rather hear what
you were doing back then.

No, we'll catch up with you.

Come on.

Come on.

Well, it was an
absolutely crazy morning.

NASA had brought all 10 of
us finalists to Washington,

and the winner was
going to be announced

at a ceremony at
the White House,

but we wanted to
know ahead of time.

We didn't want to find out at
the same moment as the rest

of the country, but Ann
Bradley was in charge

and she absolutely
would not tell us.

It's out of my
control, everyone.

The White House will
administer floggings

if the winner's name leaks.

They're acting like this is
a national security issue.

Ann, I think what you should
do is call the White House

and tell them that the teachers
aren't coming unless we know

in advance who the winner is.

Yes, now you're talking.

I think that's a great idea.

You absolutely
cannot tell anyone.

OK, we got.

I mean it.

All right, all right.

Come on.

I'll tell you at
the end of lunch.

What do your kids think?

My kids are a little too
young to understand their mother

wanting to go up into space.

I mean, how do they explain
that to their friends?

Well, how's your
husband holding up?

It's rough.

He says he's writing an
article on child management

through the massive
use of cornflakes.

Better tell him to stock up on
a lot more cornflakes, Christa.

Excuse me?

You're going.

You're the one
going up in space.

Christa, I am
so happy for you.

So sad for me, but--

It's terrible we cannot be
going up in space together.

And Barbara Morgan
is the alternate.

And I might as well
spill everything.

The rest of you will be
employed by NASA for a year.

Christa.

Do you realize?

I don't.

I don't.

It just doesn't seem possible.

You're actually
going into space.

You think there
will be a recount?

Christa, even if there were a
recount, you'd still win again.

It's not often that a
teacher is at a loss for words.

I know my students would agree.

I've made nine wonderful
friends in the last two weeks,

and when that shuttle goes
there might be one body,

but there's going to be 10
souls I'm taking with me.

Thank you.

We'll only practice
about an hour today, Scobe.

Why is that?

The other aircraft
in maintenance,

so this one's on overload.

Weren't you scheduled to
get another landing trainer?

We keep asking and
they keep promising.

Still looking for a
January launch, Scobe?

They don't change payload
or add a congressman.

I think I'm going to go even
if no one else is ready.

I agree.

You're ready for a real one.

What number is this?

You got it there?

Yes, sir.

You're getting close
to your 900th shuttle

landing rehearsal, Commander.

It's OK, Scobe, you'll get
the hang of it pretty soon.

Yeah, well, I hope so.

The folks with me are going
to be real interested in how

I fly the shuttle.

Hey, that's right,
you got the teacher.

How'd you find that out?

We just heard.

They tell the
important people first.

That a good idea, Scobe?

You like the idea of an outsider
getting a seat on your shuttle?

Well, it torqued me at first.

You know, we got guys in this
program who were waiting 15

years to fly and then they
lose their seat to somebody who

just walks in off the street.

But I liked the
idea of us sending

the first lesson from space.

I think a lot of
it'll depend on what

this Christa person is like.

All right, let's
fly the shuttle.

Yours, Scobe.

Well, what do I do first?

Pull this?

You're off line.

Right.

I see it.

Scobe, one thing, if you
break through cloud cover,

you're 7,000 feet, and
you're off line that far,

better jump on it even quicker.

You need to correct
it right now.

Right.

I can do better.

Watch this next one.

How soon can we get inside
and take a look at the O-rings?

We start taking
it apart tomorrow.

In a couple of days, we'll
give you everything you want.

These horizontal tests
don't give us what we want.

The only thing that will
give us real information

is the vertical firing
under flight conditions.

We fire it the way
we're told to, Roger.

We know that, Stan.

If we try to test one of
these things vertically,

there's no way to hold it down.
It'll launch itself.

Fine.

But the only way to know
exactly what we've got

is with a vertical firing.

Somebody ought to
tell management that.

Well, we can't tell
nothing to nobody today.

It's quitting time.

How about a beer?

We don't drink in my family.

OK.

Come on over the bowling
alley, knock down some pins.

It'll make you feel mighty.

See you in a couple of days.

Typical.

Nobody seems to take
this problem seriously.

I'll bet 90% of the people
who work here don't even know

what an O-ring is, let
alone there's a serious

problem with them.

Real discouraging.

What's discouraging
is Morton-Thiokol

not getting off its behind
and doing something about it.

Right.

They met their contract with
NASA, the shuttle is flying,

why talk about problems
is their attitude.

They'll have to
talk about this one.

I hear if this O-ring
problem isn't solved soon,

NASA will be looking
for another contractor.

No way.

If NASA dropped
Morton-Thiokol, they'd

had to suspend the shuttle
program for a year,

redesign the entire booster,
start a whole new test program.

You know that's not
going to happen.

Ichi.

Ni.

San.

Shi.

Ichi.

Ni.

San.

Shi.

Ichi.

Ni.

Yame.

Rei.

Seiza.

Do you study karate
to fight others?

Charlie?

I study karate to improve
myself through self-discipline

and self-criticism, to
learn to overcome failure,

hardship, and fear.

For what other purpose
do you learn karate?

Al?

To know courage and beauty.

Through karate,
the warrior finds

the beauty that lies
in a lily, in music,

and the knowledge of
what he might become.

Is this a moment in
which to fight or to smile?

OK.

See you Thursday.

Ha, Sensai.

Sensai?

Hm?

Did you hear
you're going to have

that teacher on your shuttle?

I did. yes.

What's that going to be like?

I mean, you're this brain
already been in space, ans

she's a high school teacher.

Who's going to be teaching who?

Well, that's not the question.

The question is, where's
the opportunity here?

I knew he was going
to turn his back on me.

Why is she you
going into space?

And who'll be listening
when she's teaching?

Calvin?

Us?

Us.

When the teacher is
giving her lesson,

I'll be staring down
into your classroom

to see if you are listening.

Hm?

Hey, Roger, have
you got a minute?

Come on over.

I hear you've had a
couple of new thoughts.

Yes, I do.

I wrote a memo to
Bob Lund about it.

Well, what's the meat of it?

Would you mind telling us?

Well, I think we've had
a mistake in position.

We believe we can get a new
design going for the O-ring

and continue to fly
without any real worry.

So what's changed?

We're working on the new design.

We sure as hell
have to keep flying.

NASA's nearly doubled the
schedule for next year.

I don't think we have to fly.

I mean, we're sending
those shuttles up like they

can't fail or something.

It's a different
ballgame since flight 17.

I don't see it as
a different ballgame.

There's a problem,
and we got to fix it.

Isn't that what
you're saying, Roger?

I'm saying that and I'm
saying something else too.

Oh, come on, you have
to play this for drama?

Just say what you got to say.

Since flight 17,
we know something

we didn't know before.

The primary O-ring
can fail completely.

If that ever happens, one of the
major sections to the rocket,

it's a jump ball as to whether
the joint holds or fails.

If it fails, it'll
be a catastrophe

of the highest order.

Loss of human life.

The shuttle, the
launch pad, all of it.

Roger, you're keyed
up about the O-ring

problem because O-rings
is what you work on.

It's what you see every day.

I want you to know there
are other major problems

on the shuttle, cracks in the
blades of the main engines,

brakes, computer malfunctions.

If any one of these
fail, it could

bring the same devastation
you're talking about.

Now, we've got to fix
this O-ring problem.

There's no question
about that, but, Roger,

the shuttle has flown 19 times
and it's come back 19 times.

Our job isn't to run
around like Chicken Little

hollering the sky is falling.

It's to fix this
problem, and when

the next problem
comes up fix that,

and keep that shuttle flying.

Do you remember Claire?

Um, yeah, read hair.

Right.

We saw her at the PTA meeting.

Uh-huh.

Well, her husband's
this race nut

and he has a soundtrack
of cars screaming

around the Indy track.

Yeah.

I'm going to play
it as background

for your morning preparations.

Uh-huh.

Oh, very funny, hon.

We're overload today On
Scobee's going to Washington.

I've got to fly to the Cape to
check out the escape system,

then get back for the
seminar on fire control

that we're having
here this afternoon,

and I've still got to bone
up for the standalone seminar

that we're having Wednesday.

Well, there's only one way.

Plan the work--

And work the plan.

Otherwise it will
never get done.

Right.

Talking of plan and
work, do you think we

could work in some family time?

Yeah, we have to.

When?

I don't know.

You tell me.

Saturday?

40 minutes right after lunch,
I could probably do that.

A full 40 minutes?

Oh my.

I didn't dare hope we'd
get that kind of time.

Hon, I know, it's just
that there are so many things

that I've got to get done.

Come on, let's say
goodbye to the kids.

When will you be back, Dad?

Saturday.

Right in time for
Janelle's soccer game.

You missed the
last one, so be sure.

You won't be back in time, El.

Why?

Why?

When you go to the
Cape you get back late.

Sometimes.

Usually.

Hey, if I don't get here,
it's because something

made it impossible.

I'll get here as soon as I can.

And mostly, it's when
we're already asleep

and then you're gone
before we get up.

We know you've been here
by the laundry you leave.

Try to get here, Dad.

I need help with my algebra too.

I'll be here.

We'll do algebra right
after the game, OK?

OK.

Now keep my record
of punctuality perfect,

I lift a tiny Hawaiian
body out of here.

Aloha.

Well, there's no
mystery about who you are.

Or you.

I've seen your picture.

Dick Scobee.

Quick, what's 9 times 7?

68.

Well, that's within 10%.

I think that's close
enough, don't you?

Not in my class.

Please, nice to meet you.

Please sit up.

So NASA asked me to meet
with y'all and tell you

something about the shuttle.

Who's got the first question?

I do.

Go ahead.

What do we call you?

Well, Dick is fine, but
mostly people call me Scobe.

I picked that up
in grammar school.

Commander?

Commander, no, you wouldn't
use except during a mission,

and even then,
we're more informal

unless there's a crisis.

Not that it fixes a
crisis that people

start calling me commander.

How often is there
likely to be a crisis?

Well, they don't appear
on schedule, of course.

Most of them occur during ascent
and when we come back to Earth,

so that's why we
practice those the most.

How are you in a
crisis, Christa?

All right, I think.

High school teachers have all
kinds of crises to deal with.

How do you get to be
commander of a shuttle?

I mean, I guess these are
pretty primitive questions,

but we're just getting into
this massive world, you know.

No, no.

That's fine.

Most of us were test pilots.

Weren't you in the military?

Air Force.

23 years ago, I was an
enlisted man in San Antonio

fixing piston engines on C124s.

How did you get
from there to here?

Well, I guess I must have
married the right woman.

June and I, my wife
and I, we both decided

there was more to life
than me fixing engines

and her being a waitress,
so we entered college.

I graduated from the
University of Arizona

and went into pilot training.

And June?

Oh, I think y'all
have a friend in June.

She's now an assistant professor
at the University of Houston.

Great story.

There's something
that I'd like to know.

Do you ever get scared
flying into space?

No.

No, not scared.

We've all been fighting
too hard to get up there.

By the time you become a
commander of a shuttle mission,

you've been in the
program about eight years

and you've done over 2,000 hours
in the sims, in the simulators,

so during a mission, you're
not afraid for your life,

you're just afraid
of screwing up.

Senator Garn said he
felt safer flying in space

than he did going down
the George Washington

Parkway at rush hour.

Well, he wouldn't be.

Flying the shuttle
involves real danger.

You're sitting on top of a
controlled explosion at launch.

Solid rockets generate
44 million horsepower,

and each one contains 500
tons of explosive fuel.

So you light them
and you ride them

until they burn out two
minutes later, because there

is no way to shut it down.

It would be very easy for
something to go wrong.

And yet, you're not scared?

And even after what you've
just told us, neither am I.

That's the way you have to
feel when you're an astronaut.

Morning, everybody.

Morning.

Let me remind you, this
is a level one meeting.

We're going to be deciding on a
couple of very critical issues

here today, and I put
the O-ring problem right

at the top of those issues.

Larry Mulloy will begin.

We've got a hard
question to answer today.

Is it safe to continue
flying the shuttle?

Now, if quit should be said,
this is the time to say it.

In the original design of
the solid rocket booster,

no erosion of O-rings
was ever anticipated.

No such possibility was
ever even mentioned.

O-ring erosion occurred in the
second flight of the shuttle.

Now we didn't know how
serious a problem it was.

We decided since every O-ring
in the solid rocket booster

has a backup, a secondary
O-ring, safety was guaranteed.

We decided that we would
continue to fly the shuttle,

but we would monitor the
O-rings very closely.

Now since flight 2, there
have been continuing

instances of O-ring erosion.

None, however, has been greater
than that experienced on flight

2 so the rationale
has become as long

as the O-ring erosion does
not exceed that of flight 2,

it's safe to fly.

But two months ago, post
flight inspection of flight 17

showed a brand new
set of circumstances.

An O-ring in a nozzle
joint was so badly eroded,

it didn't seal at all.

The secondary O-ring did seal,
but it too was badly eroded.

Now this combination
of erosion has

destroyed our rationale that
we have a guarantee of safety.

I think that's a
pretty fair description.

Everybody agreed?

Um?

Yeah, Joe.

Well, it was our
engineers obviously

who did the post flight analysis
on 17 and produced these facts.

No one is more concerned
than us at Morton-Thiokol

about what they mean.

What do they mean?

Well, let me say first off
that I would be lying to you

if I told you we know
everything about what

went wrong on flight 17.

Let me tell you that's
exactly what we've got to know.

Everything about what did
go wrong on flight 17,

otherwise we don't have
an answer to our question.

But we do have an answer,
Larry, continue flying.

That's our recommendation.

We've discovered that the
nozzle joint was not properly

leak checked, and because
of that very serious mistake

both O-rings were made
vulnerable to the hot gases.

We're making sure that no
such aberration happens again,

but we believe that that
was the cause of the erosion

in both O-rings on flight 17.

And that's why we
recommend continue

flying with proper checks.

Assuming what you say is
true, that would explain

what happened on flight 17.

It does not explain the whole
history of O-ring erosions.

Improperly leak checks
didn't cause all of them.

O-ring erosions were
not supposed to occur,

but they did, and then
sometimes they didn't.

Why?

I keep thinking we're
flying rocket boosters

we don't really understand.

We are forming an
O-ring task force

at Morton-Thiokol to find
out exactly what the problem

is and how to fix it.

This task force will recommend
short and long range solutions

to the O-ring problem.

It's a little late in
coming, but it's a good idea.

It's a real good idea, Larry.

We'll wrestle this
thing to earth.

All right, but
there are conditions.

You form that task force
immediately and get a report

into me within two months.

You've got it.

The task force begins tomorrow.

We going right
to meet the crew?

That building over there.

Barbara, why do I
suddenly feel so inadequate?

Because I am.

I doubt that.

They don't expect us
to be brilliant yet.

I look around here and I
realize how little I know

about rockets and space travel.

I say the words, space
travel, and I think

is that me I'm talking about.

You're right.

It's intimidating.

Now, ladies, the crew's
very busy on some highly

technical work, so we'll
just sort of tiptoe in, OK?

Just try not to
disturb anything.

Is it all right to go in?

Should we wait?

It'll be all right.

Hi.

I'm Elon Onizuka.

We'd like to welcome
our journalist in space.

Teacher in space, fool.

Morning, Christa.

I'm the well-behaved
one, Mike Smith.

Uh, that is not the truth.

He's always late to
class, he doesn't

complete his
homework assignments,

and he uses bad words.

I'm the good
student, Ron McNair.

They're all truants, Christa.

You and I will have to take
this bunch of dead end kids

on together.

I'm Judy Resnick.

Hi.

I see you in all
the best places.

Welcome aboard, Christa.

Thank you.

All together now.

Good morning, Mrs. McAuliffe.

Good morning, class.

Teacher, can you tell me--

What's the capital of France?

How high is--

What are the primary colors?

Ready to buy
some beers tonight?

No way.

Are we about ready, Jerry?

Pretty much.

Got some good
work down for us?

You won't sleep through it.

I want to be told
it Mike eats a donut.

We've got $100 bet.

Which I've practically won.

You wish.

We're going to be tough today.

You win a beer, you'll earn it.

Better get your money
out now, Beaufort.

He seemed especially
vindictive today.

OK, we're ready to begin
a cabin leak at six minutes

before main engine cutoff.

How many of these do you want?

You've had two.

Come on, I didn't
have breakfast.

At two minutes before cut
off, fail the computers.

Computer switches?

Got them.

Let him be vindictive.

They won't get one by us.

You want any?

Yes.

You got my little green pen?

No.

We've got pens right there.

I know, but I like the
one with the little--

Brake.

All right, we're reset.

Let's tighten up.

OK, resetting.

I want that cabin leak
right after liftoff.

OK, it says a 6 inch
hole in the cabin.

That's be big enough
to pull people through.

Must mean 6/10 of an inch.

Yeah, 6/10.

It couldn't be 6 inches.

Ready in the simulator.

Ready.

Ready.

It's getting boring up here.

Ah so, please forgive.

All right, start them.

T minus 8 seconds.

OK, we have three
engines burning at 100%.

3, 2, 1.

Here's the roll program.

Roger will, Challenger.

LBLH.

Throttle down.

And throttle up.

Going throttle up, Challenger?

Roger, going throttle up.

Boosters separated.

Negative return.

Roger.

Challenger press to orbit.

Roger, press to orbit.

Cabin leak, Scobe.

Relief valves.

Already checked.

What's cabin pressure?

Down to 14.2 PSI.

There's nothing to do except
cycle the relief valves.

That's right.

Right and they're closed.

For record, did you
make it, not a gusher.

No, it's right.

It's real.

Standby for a curve ball
in a couple of minutes.

I'm ready.

I've got a good one for them.

That didn't stop the leak.

Better get ready to abort.

We've got the velocity
for Dakar or Conchesa.

There's a Club Med at Dakar.

Let's go there.

I'm slowing the leak,
give them a better chance.

Soon as they pick
their abort site,

we'll toss in another
couple of malfs.

Hold on, what's
their cabin pressure?

It's dropping.

It's close to 10.

I failed a caution
warning light.

They probably won't
notice it yet.

Abort to Dakar now.

Abort to Dakar.

UMS are dumping.

And valves are configured.

What's cabin pressure?

A little under 10 PSI.

Seems to be slowing slightly.

This is where they
get paid the big bucks.

Let's beat them up.

I'll kill one of
the main engines.

Still gonna make Dakar?

Trust me.

Go ahead.

Left main engine gone.

Guide and seize it.

The other two engines
half throttled up.

Looks like we have enough
energy to still make Dakar.

They'll make Dakar but
they'll have to do an OHMS burn.

We have main engine cutoff.

What's our final velocity?

I don't know if we're going
to have to do an OHMS burn.

What a guide, Mike.

External tank separated.

We'll turn off the
OHMS engines mainly

once they burn long enough.

I don't know if we
have to do that, Scobe.

They don't have to do that.

When the engine shuts
off automatically,

they'll see that they
don't have to do that.

Yep, the computer
automatically

figures the length of the burn.

Come on, Scobe, get
your brains together.

Fail the OHMS engine.

Right.

Left OHMS is down.

Protected burn time
will be two more minutes.

They'll have to remember
to cross feed the fuel.

They will.

Oh, no, we've got to cross feed.

It's too late now.

We're way past halfway.

They'll be lucky if
they have enough fuel

to make it through the burn.

I think they'll make it.

They should have paid more
attention to the checklist.

The OHMS burn is finished.

Main engine dump.

Got it.

They're dumping remaining fuel
from the main engines, good.

Can I put in a
communications now?

No, they're too busy.

Gee, what did I come for?

You're supposed
to bring the donuts.

All right, check the
auxiliary power units

for body flaps and speed rate.

They're looking good.

Good.

Hey, Scobee screwed me up.

He went through the checklist so
fast I couldn't get my malf in.

Oh.

Gee, I'll fix that.

I'm jamming the gearbox
for the speed brakes.

That'll keep them fully closed.

Speed brakes are jammed.

There's nothing we
can do about that.

We may have too much energy
to land on the runway.

Mike, let's plan to bring
the gear down early.

High tail winds over
Africa, that's going

to keep the energy even higher.

Scobe, should we try to open
the speed brake manually?

No, it's too late.

I just tried.

I'm not sure they're
going to make it.

Last time I trust you.

Mike, get the gear down.

I've got three Goodyear.

He won't get it
down on the runway.

Altitude 50 feet,
speed 250 knots.

30 feet, 230.

20, 230.

10, 210.

We're going way too fast.

Touchdown.

Nose gear is down.

We're over shooting.

Going to maximum braking.

I'm sorry we gave
you so much energy.

We want you to make
that landing in case

you ever do an abort to Dakar.

You should've given us
something we could solve.

We're supposed to be
learning something here.

What are you guys
doing out there?

Yeah, but you know something?

What I'm think, Scobe--

You know, I could have taken
a wider swing around the hack.

It would have dissipated
more of the energy.

Yeah, but then you're
fighting the computers.

They said stay on course.

Yeah, I know, but sometimes
you just gotta fly by your gut.

You gotta bring it on in.

Tell me about it.

You know something else
we might have tried?

All right, ready to reset?

Later.

Larry, what went on at
that Washington meeting?

Are we getting anywhere?

Oh, we're flying,
you know that.

The conclusion is that
the problem with flight 17

was an improper leak check.

If you accept that conclusion,
you continue flying.

I don't think
that's the question.

The question is are we
right to continue flying?

Well, the future
will tell us that.

Launch criteria prohibit
flying the shuttle

with a criticality one element.

Those O-rings are now
a criticality one,

so what I'm doing is issuing
a waiver on each flight

as it comes up.

That sure doesn't
solve the O-ring problem.

No, sir.

The O-ring problem
is not solved.

Tell me what's wrong
with this story, Larry?

Shuttle flies, and we
find O-ring erosion,

but nothing happens.

So we fly some more and the
O-rings erode some more,

then instead of getting
more worried about it,

we start getting used to it.

Yeah.

That's the wrong part.

And almost without noticing
it, we lower our standards.

We start to believe
that because we've

gotten away with
it so many times

we'll keep on
getting away with it.

Well, we've gotten away with
it but we're not going to get

away with it forever, Larry.

I want to know how that
task force performs

and I want the O-ring problem
to have absolute priority.

Yes, sir.

The instructor brings
the chair to a stop

and suddenly you
feel like you've

started to spin in the
opposite direction,

but you open your eyes
and you realize you're

standing completely still.

Good.

You're picking things up fast.

What else are they teaching you?

Well, we're going up
in a KC 135 next week.

The Vomit Comet.

Don't worry, only
the men get sick.

Good.

There's one other thing
I wanted to ask you.

What's it like to be
up there in space?

I always hate that question.

Why?

Because you can't answer it.

Ask me something else.

That's the one thing I've
been longing to ask somebody.

All right.

I can give you
impressions, snapshots.

You don't want to come back.

You find you left all
the stress back on Earth.

You're serene.

Colors, blue, green,
white, you've never

seen them that way before.

They come flying up to you.

Rivers pouring off
the continents.

The Amazon comes down
with a force that sends it

100 miles out into
the ocean before it

even mixes with the saltwater.

You find yourself in
the fetal position

when you sleep as
if you're in a womb.

Our little planet, so
beautiful, no boundaries on it,

no support coming
from anywhere outside.

It's just there by itself.

You feel protective of it.

I can't wait.

I can't wait to share
that with my students.

Hi.

Hi.

Is this for us?

Yes.

Didn't we used to have
some children around here?

Scott's practicing late,
Alison's at Mary's, and Aaron

is staying over with Cynthia.

I see.

We have two full hours
to do whatever we want.

And just what
do we want to do?

Dance.

Dance?

We don't dance much
anymore, you know what I mean?

I mean, it's just one of
those things that glides out

of your life and you forget
how you used to do it,

and how much you enjoyed it.

Care to dance with
me, Mr. Smith?

The truth?

Uh-huh.

Dancing was not the first
thing I was planning on doing

when I got home this evening.

But, hon, if you want to dance--

I've got a cassette of some
South Carolina beach music.

How long has that been?

People are going to think
there are rednecks from the 60s

living in here.

But we're going to
start with something else.

I've got this all timed,
so come on now, darling.

I was thinking after you
left today about the part

of your life I don't share.

You know what I mean?

I'm not in the simulator
when you do something smart

and the trainers buy you a beer.

I won't be on orbit to see you
fly the shuttle back to Earth.

But I'm here at
home, and the Mike I

see a father and the husband.

Mike, I don't know how you can
be so terrific as an astronaut

and then come home
and be so wonderful

as a husband and a father.

It touches me so.

Honey--

Don't say anything.

This is the part I
want you to hear.

[MUSIC - BETTE MIDLER, "WIND
BENEATH MY WINGS"]

Did you ever know
that you're my hero.

Everything I would like to be.

I can fly higher than
an eagle because you

are the wind beneath my wings.

Don't let's talk
about O-rings though.

It's Sunday, and I
always think on Sunday we

don't have to talk
about the things we talk

about the rest of the week.

All right, Mom.

I agree.

Sundays are special, especially
when we have Norma visiting.

So tell us what's
going on in Salt Lake?

We're doing good.

Preaching that
every house should

have a personal computer bought
from us, and sales are up.

Doing real good.

See, that's another thing.

If we used more
computers in our testing,

we know a hell of a lot
more hell of a lot faster.

So easy to slide into
this weekday conversation.

I wasn't going
to talk O-rings.

I was going to talk about
the damn O-ring task

force they formed.

Well, didn't you say the
task force was a good thing?

That business talk just
creeps in, doesn't it?

I just want to get this one
point cleared up with Norma.

The task force is a
good thing, but the memo

that created it doesn't demand
that a solution be produced.

It doesn't set a time limit.

They just don't care.

How can they not care?

They formed the task force.

Keeping things as they
are is what they care about.

Dad, do you mean they're
actually obstructing

the work of the task force?

If it would endanger the crew
and everything, why would they?

It sounds frightening
what you're saying, Dad.

I'm not saying they
want to endanger the crew.

All I'm saying is we don't even
know how these O-rings really

work or even if they work.

If you're trying to solve
that kind of problem,

you do it as fast as you
can and you don't keep

flying while you're doing it.

I'm saying what I know is right.

I'm sure you're
right, Dad, but could

there be another right?

Could the company
have a different right

and be just as sincere?

I'm sorry, Mom.

It's just so interesting to me.

It is interesting.

I can see that.

It's just that it was Sunday.

Ta-da.

Neat.

It's a little loose.

Well, they need to be to
work in, don't you know.

Through the hips.

Well, you want
them larger there.

Was that comment directed
particularly at me?

No.

No, no.

In the weightless state, the
blood, instead of heading

for the feet the way
it does, Your Honor,

goes to the middle of
the body and stays there,

don't you know?

Great.

I'll tell you one
thing, I want to be

photographed from the waist
up when I'm doing my lessons.

Those are lovely.

Also, you know,
you'll be an inch

and a half taller in space.

Oh, that's right.

That would help.

These black boots are
what you wear for launch.

Very smart.

And these leather
soled woolen moccasins

are for comfort in orbit.

These are terrific.

Oh, look at that.

My kids don't really believe
I'm going up into space.

I'd like to walk into the room
in the middle of the night

with one of those on.

Now here's something
for your diet, space food.

You'll select the
meals you eat on orbit.

Your meals will be color coded.

We've got 140 food
and beverage items.

Who wants to go first?

I'll start.

It's got cafeteria food beat.

Uh-huh.

They do chicken right.

When you're hungry, you
just float over, pick out

your color, and start batting.

Float over.

Every once in a while, I
sort of stand outside myself

and I realize what I'm doing.

Oh, try the broccoli.

It's delicious.

Sprouts.

Want more?

No, you.

You haven't eaten any.

I will.

Did Dad call?

No.

Did he say you would
be here for dinner?

Nope.

Maybe it's one of
those times when he says

it's impossible to get here?

Yeah, maybe rainfalls
up instead of down too.

Eat your fish.

Try them.

I used to run around the islands
picking these when I was a kid.

They're good, El.

What are they called?

Macadamia nuts.

Eat them with your
beer, guaranteed you'll

gain 30 pounds in one night.

It's my turn.

Hey, wait a minute.

I'm next on that pool game.

Let me go next, El.

I need revenge on Brandenstein.

All right, all right,
but I'm next, OK?

I got dinner waiting at home.

You should have
brought the plans,

I could point right to where
you should make revisions.

We took a good long look.

Those plans don't have
to be revised, JR.

Mark, there are
three specific errors.

They don't exist.

We didn't find them.

They do exist.

The remote arm cannot
grab that satellite

the way it's positioned
in the payload bay.

I'm not guessing at this.

JR, there are four
of us and one of you.

Now, four guys can't be
wrong, or am I treading

on your feminist views?

You're doing worse.

You're arguing with
someone who knows

everything that's possible to
know about that remote arm.

Think about this, Mark.

I'm the one who launches a
$50 million piece of equipment

off the shuttle in front of
the onboard television cameras,

and I don't get it wrong.

So check it out, OK?

And you're treading
on my feminist views.

I don't know what to tell you.

Want to make a bet you're wrong?

What kind of bet?

Well, if I'm right,
you go to dinner with me.

And if I'm right?

Then that would be bad.

I'd have to go to
dinner with you.

[SINGING]

Hey.

Where are the kids?

They're in bed, El.

OK, I can work with that.

Is dinner ready?

Why are you closing the window?

It's hot.

I'm closing the windows
because I'm going to shout.

Don't shout.

I'm going to eat
for three weeks

straight and make my
rear end so big you

won't be able to get around
it to get in to this house.

What do you mean
coming home at 2:30

in the morning with
that breath belching

stupid questions like where are
the kids and where's my dinner?

I've been waiting.

Your kids have been waiting.

I fixed your dinner
and you didn't

even have the decency to call.

What?

I had a couple of
beers at the Outpost.

You had 40 beers
at the Outpost.

Where's dinner?

You said you made dinner.

It's at the bottom
of the garbage.

You go paw through it.

Lorna, why are we shouting?

You're not shouting.

I'm shouting.

Because you're never home.

It's because this
isn't the life I wanted

and it is because of that
stack of technical documents

always piled up on that table.

I've grown to hate it.

I want to burn it.

Why can't we have
a home without it?

A little shack that has
nothing to do with NASA?

We can as soon as the flight
is over, we'll take a vacation.

Vacation?

That word doesn't exist
in your vocabulary.

You can't do this, El.

You can't work 100 hour weeks.

And you're away on these
Defense Department assignments

where we don't know where
you are, you call us,

but we don't know where you
are or when you're coming home.

You have 30 days
vacation a year.

You haven't taken one
in the past seven.

NASA is not just my job.

It's my life.

I made a commitment years ago.

You made it with me.

Whatever I do, I have to do it
well or I don't do it at all.

I'll try to do better, Lorna.

No, don't do better.

Do worse.

Do less.

Just-- just stop, El.

Be with us.

The girls and I are a
part of your life too.

Just come home.

We miss you.

And we take that vacation.

I promise.

This is not some grievance
committee from the unions, Joe.

These guys are members
of the task force.

They have a serious problem.

The problem is the task
force isn't getting anywhere.

It doesn't have a priority.

Roger, all three of
you, Morton-Thiokol

commissioned this task force.

We saw a need for
it and created it.

It has a priority here.

The word priority doesn't mean
anything important at Thiokol.

All priorities have
the same priority.

Roger, you work
on one component

of a single system
of which there

are hundreds in the shuttle.

You know your component well.

What you don't know is how
a corporation is managed.

That's something that
I'm paid to know, right?

And when I say that something
has a priority, by God,

it has a priority.

This is a requisition
for a function generator.

We placed the order
priority on September 24th.

It's 10 days later, there's
still no sign of it.

This is a typical experience.

Joe, this is a cry for help.

We run into delays
everywhere and every time

we try to do something.

This is a red flag.

All right.

Then you better tell me
everything you're thinking.

I'll tell you
what I'm thinking.

I'm thinking maybe
Morton-Thiokol

is trying to slow us down.

Maybe they're afraid our
task force will find out

that the solid
rocket boosters never

should have been made with
O-rings in the first place.

That the O-rings can never
be made strong enough

to contain the hot gases.

Maybe that's why we run
into so many obstacles.

How dare you make an
accusation like that?

Do you know what you're saying?

You're darn right I
know what I'm saying.

I'm saying what's
the explanation

of why things go so slow?

Even NASA sees
were being blocked.

They're sending an engineer
next week to monitor

the progress of our task force.

Did you know about that?

Of course, I know that.

We got a problem, Joe.

We need a way to
get our work done.

It's as simple as that.

There's a problem,
all right, and I can see

it right here in front of me.

You people want to go around
the established system.

That's possible in
some cases, but nobody

can take shortcuts
that risk damaging

the flight hardware we produce.

Our first job is to provide the
boosters that fly that shuttle.

That's the point.

We're supposed to find out if
it's safe to fly the shuttle,

and we can't get our work done.

Oh, you can get
your work done.

When you come across a
problem, you handle it.

You don't come crying in here.

You don't look for somebody
else to get it solved.

You solve it.

You've been here a long time.

You know what I'm talking about.

Now we want a solution to the
O-ring problem from this task

force and we're going
to have a solution,

and it's going to be one that
does not endanger production

quality or production schedule.

That's what I've
got to tell you.

That's all.

I'm telling you, Joe,
Morton-Thiokol should not ship

any more solid rocket
boosters, not until

this O-ring problem is fixed.

Excuse me, aren't
you what's her name?

Yes.

Christa McAuliffe.

Well, congratulations to
you going up into space.

Thank you.

I can hardly wait.

We won't keep you.

We know you want to
get on with your trip,

but it's just so exciting
to talk to you for a minute.

Thank you.

You have a wonderful
time down here.

You have a wonderful
time up there.

Thank you.

All of America
is proud of you.

So proud.

Howdy.

Hi.

Bob Mayfield.

Hi, Bob.

I've been looking
forward to our meeting.

I'll be working with
you on the lesson plans.

Sorry for the tardiness.

I feel I need to
respond to people,

but it can sure throw
your schedule off.

Add three hours off
by about 20 minutes.

Really?

Well that and whatever
else is going on.

Time sure can slip by.

Anyway, shall we talk
about the lesson plans?

Yes, naturally I
have some questions.

Mainly, I wish I'd been
consulted before the lesson

plan got into a final form.

Well, they had to be
finalized before the teacher

was selected because there's
so much hardware to create.

Time is another problem.

Lesson plans have
to get scripted.

Scripted?

Right.

Why?

Scheduling is one
of most important

elements in a shuttle flight.

Everything's got to be
timed and slotted exactly.

All right, when I know
how much time I've got,

I'll fit my lesson plan to that.

Well, I don't
think that'll work.

NASA wants every
word written down.

Well, NASA really
should have talked

to a teacher about all this.

They did.

I'm a teacher.

Well, then, Bob, you
know what I'm saying?

This isn't a stage play.

Teachers don't need speeches.

All they need is their lesson
plan and their students.

It's worked for ages on earth,
why shouldn't it work in space?

Well, others will
make that decision.

Anything else?

I don't see why there's
so much emphasis on science.

Shuttle's basically
a scientific vehicle

that gives us a platform where
space science can be performed

in front of millions of people.

Yes, but a lot of
people besides scientists

will be involved in
space in the future.

There will be space
schools, space post

offices, space
construction, space

restaurants, space everything.

I'd like my students
to see themselves

as a part of that big picture.

That'd probably be a good
idea in about 20 years.

I mean, right now, we don't
have any space post offices

or space restaurants, so
experiments about them

won't be much help.

It feels to me that the
first lesson from space

ought to be something
everybody can understand.

Of course, but I think
we should be sending

something more to our
classrooms than just

scientific experiments.

I don't get what
you're saying.

Is it that you don't
know much about science

or you want to put your
experience on this mission

into a social studies course?

What I'm saying is
that NASA selected

me because I'm a good teacher.

I think they're
right, and I don't

think I need additional
instruction in how to do that.

Being the first teacher in
space is a tremendous thrill,

but it's not a
personal trophy for me.

Christa McAuliffe, one
teacher, isn't the point.

It's teaching.

Teachers being acknowledged
for the shaping hand

they lay on the young
lives of our country.

Commander Scobee?

Right.

My name is Greg Jarvis.

All right.

How's it going, Greg Jarvis?

Listen, I don't want
to bother you now.

I know you're busy
preparing for the mission.

I might be going with you.

Well, is that so?

Yeah, it's just
a rumor still, but

in case I wind up
on your shuttle,

I wanted to introduce myself.

I'm--

You're Greg Jarvis.

Yeah.

No.

Well.

But what I was going
to say was, I'm

really excited because I was
assigned to two other missions

and I was bumped both
times, first by Senator Garn

and then by Congressman Nelson.

Well, what are you
going to be doing?

Experiments on
how fluids behave

in an orbiting space vehicle.

I'm an engineer at Hughes.

I won a contest to
go on the shuttle.

Well, congratulations.

Listen, I'm glad
to meet you Greg,

but I'm not glad to hear about
more experiments coming aboard.

You think it'll be a problem?

It's hard for me
to explain to you

just how big a problem it is.

You see, by adding a
passenger and his experiments

that means total
redistribution of crew space.

It means revision of
this activity plan here.

You've already got all
of this paraphernalia

for Christa McAuliffe
experiments.

For example, now she's
going to be doing a lesson

in space about magnetism.

Now, they wanted to bring
iron filings aboard.

Now, can you picture this?

If those iron filings
had ever gotten out

of the container, first
of all, they would

have been inhaled by the crew.

They would've gotten into
the electronics equipment.

Commander, if I'm lucky
enough to go on this mission,

I'll do everything I
can to make it simple.

I'll make it easy.

Good luck.

Watch your head.

Good boy.

All right, now, these are the
lockers where all the food

and supplies are kept, OK?

And this is the airlock, or the
door to the payload bay, OK?

And Daddy's seat goes here.

This is where he'll be
when the shuttle flies.

Now beside that door,
which we call the hatch, now,

can you say that?

Hatch.

Right and these are called?

Lockers.

Very good.

I think our genius is
ready to fly this thing.

Well, I think so too.

Maybe we should go
to the flight deck?

What do you think?

Let's go.

Come on.

I'm going to go up first, OK?

Let's go, Champ, come on.

Here you go.

I'll tell you what.

You're going to sit over
here in the pilot's seat,

and we're not going to even
use that poster because I

don't think you need it.

What do you think?

Huh?

OK?

Now we're harnessed in,
there go the main engines,

and we're leaving the ground.

Do you it, Reggie?

Yes, Daddy, I see it.

Challenger,
initiate roll program.

Roger, roll program.

What do we do now?

Throttle down.

Challenger, throttle down.

Throttle down, Houston.

Go with throttle
up, Challenger.

Roger, throttle up.

Now the solid rockets.

SRV separated.

And now we're
going into orbit.

Oh, look, Reggie.

Look how we're leaving
the earth behind us.

Do you see that?

And now we're going into space.

Hear how quiet it is?

Daddy, I hear.

Oh, look, Reggie,
we're coming into night.

Look at all those stars.

Do you see that, Reggie?

Yes, Daddy, I see
millions of them.

We fly these things
almost every day

to keep our skills sharp.

You don't want any
rust on you when you're

about to launch in the shuttle.

Right, Scobe, I can see that.

Take it easy now, guys.

So first of all,
when we get up there,

we're going to try some dives
because I want you to feel

G-Forces like at liftoff.

I warn you, Christa.

This is not going to
be like airline flying.

I want to get you
ready for what you're

going to experience
during liftoff and ascent

and during reentry.

You ready?

Ready.

All right.

There we go.

Now, you let me know if anything
starts loosening up, all right?

You keep this microphone
right in front of your mouth

so we can talk.

Now your emergency
oxygen is down there

and these are the
different radio bands here,

and this is a stick that you fly
with if anything happens to me.

All right, Christa, here we go.

(LAUGHING) Wow.

They say about the T38,
you keep the dirty side down.

Oh.

As you can see, it's just as
easy to fly her belly side up.

Want to stay here for a while?

If it's my choice, Scobe--

Uh-huh?

I think I could see
better right side up.

All right.

I'll show you what it feels
like when we're dropping back

through the Earth's atmosphere.

It'll pull your clavicles
down through your pelvis.

You ready?

Probably not actually.

Here we go.

Woo hoo hoo.

Whoa.

The bottom's dropping out.

That's bad.

Hold on to your bottom, Christa,
you don't want to lose that.

We'll go back up there now and
do a couple of other maneuvers

that'll show you what a
graceful little bird we're in.

These are known
as aileron rolls.

Once you get the hang of
them, you can do them all day,

but the constant turning
makes some people queasy.

You're not getting
queasy, are you, Christa?

It's yours, Christa.

My what?

Your airplane, fly it.

Fly it?

Just take control.

She'll respond.

Really?

Absolutely.

There's planes your friend.

Oh.

Wow.

I have never known
anything like this.

Because there isn't
anything like this.

Go ahead, get creative.

I'll try.

Just something you
can tell the kids about.

OK, Scobe.

Hey, that's pretty good.

Try it again, to
the left this time.

Yes, sir.

Hey, that was big time.

Congratulations,
Airman McAuliffe.

Watch this.

Even better.

Did I earn my wings, Scobe?

Absolutely, Christa.

This is what I wanted
to share with you.

This is freedom.

I hope it's something
you'll remember.

Oh, Scobe.

There's just so much to learn.

The insects and the humidity.

There's cockroaches
here you can saddle.

My hair is constantly frizzled.

Swell.

We finally get to talk and
I fill it with laments.

Well, you're
entitled, sweetheart.

No.

Don't even listen to me.

This is ridiculous.

I'm the most privileged
person in the United States.

I'm lonesome, Steven.

I miss my old wooden table.

I miss having dinner there.

I miss reading to
the kids at bedtime.

I want to go to the airport,
I want to get on a plane,

I want to be home by midnight.

I want to look in
and kiss the kids,

and I want to sleep
in our own bed.

Great.

I'll put on some coffee.

No.

I won't.

I'm fine.

Let me say good
night to the kids.

OK.

Scott's asleep,
but Carolyn's here.

Your mom would like
to talk to you.

Hi, Mom.

Hi, Darling.

Are you in space yet?

No, honey, not yet.

Well, when do you get there?

All the kids want to know.

Well, you tell them that
I'm as anxious as they are.

Everything all right at school?

Everything's really
good except you're not

here and Dad's keeping cooking
is, well, it isn't cooking.

It's Cornflakes.

We're fine though.

I love you.

Oh, me too.

You get some sleep now.

I'll talk to you tomorrow night.

Here's Dad, the great cook.

Christa, honey, we're
fine, and we love you,

and we'll see you soon.

OK.

I am tired.

Good night, darling.

Good night, sweetheart.

[KNOCKING]

Christa?

Yes.

Christa, listen,
I'm going to be going

on the shuttle with
you, and I'm not

going to make it
through the night

unless I can talk to
somebody about this.

I is who?

Greg Jarvis.

Oh, gee, did I leave that out?

Greg Jarvis.

Right.

Greg.

Come on in.

Yeah?

Yeah.

Well, after that speech.

Sit down.

Thank you.

So you really just found out?

Well, I knew it was
possible, but NASA just called

tonight and gave me the word.

So I called my wife
and I called my folks

and went out and got
something to eat,

and I came back to my apartment.

Well, you can't just
yawn and hit the sack.

I know what you mean.

Anyway, my apartment
in this complex and I

knew you lived here so I
said I'm gonna find her.

Would you like a glass
of wine to celebrate?

That'd be perfect.

I can't believe it.

I can't believe
I'm really going.

I'm going.

I mean, you look
at these astronauts

and they're like perfect human
beings, and there you are,

you know, your hair's falling
out and they call you.

It's a dream.

It's like a bad dream for you,
some guy barging in on you.

No, Greg, I'm
probably the only person

in the world who
could understand

exactly what you're feeling.

Thank you.

Thanks, Christa.

As commander Scobee would
say, welcome aboard, Mr. Jarvis.

Thank you, Commander.

I'm honored to be aboard.

Truly.

This is lucky for me too.

It'll be a completely
different experience

to share the flight with a--

Balding engineer who's so
excited he can't get to sleep?

A balding engineer who's so
excited he can't get to sleep.

Good morning, this
is Christa McAuliffe.

Today I'm going to be taking
you on the ultimate field trip

through the space
shuttle Challenger.

First I'd like you to meet our
commander, Dick Scobee, who's

sitting here to
my left, and this

is our pilot, Michael Smith.

Our com seems to
be breaking up a bit.

Let me try the variable
to light switch here.

Talk to me back then.

OK.

OK.

Well, what I'm trying
to do is get this rig.

This will be after the EVA.

Yeah.

I can hear you now.

That's good.

Good.

Now, that bolt I
think turns to the left.

It does turn to the
left, so you're going

to have to-- that's right.
- Yeah.

That's what it says in
your checklist, all right?

Yeah.

I think you're right.

Boy, it feels great down here.

Like a summer day in Houston.

[INDISTINCT TALKING]

The two most important things
are knowing how to give a shot

and how to draw blood.

First one is the shot.

OK.

The syringe between the
thumb and index finger.

Like this?

That's right, El.

OK.

Now just stab it straight
into Michael's shoulder.

OK.

Now here's one of the
fascinating ways we'll examine

the effects of weightlessness.

Make sure there's
Saran wrap on the basket.

Those eggs will be weightless.

Is this where I move up?

To this yellow line, Tom?

Yeah, that's fine.

OK.

This is in frame?

Now, first-- oh, no.

That's all right, Christa.

That's what omelets are for.

Guys.

Isolate the cross feed
line between the thruster

system and the
maneuvering system,

then check the manifold.

That fascinating prose
put you to sleep?

KC 135 is the aircraft we
use to produce weightlessness.

Now I just want to remind you
that when the aircraft comes

to the top of the
climb, the pilot puts it

into a fall for
about 30 seconds,

and that's when
you'll be weightless.

Christa, that will
be your chance

to practice your experiments.

[CHATTER]

Should we zip it up a little.

Probably.

All right.

Hold it.

Hello.

Hi.

Christa, I need
to talk to you.

Would later be OK?

We've got so much to cover.

No, I think now.

Come on.

Christa, when we've
got an appointment,

you need to be here.

Of course, here I am.

You're late.

20 minutes this time.

Sometimes it's 40.

Twice you didn't show up at all.

It's not intentional, Bob.

I've kept pretty busy.

There's so little time
before we leave for the Cape.

I'm well aware of that,
and I'd like to help,

but my schedule is
as busy as yours.

Now look at this.

Every 15 minutes is full.

When you're late, what does
that do to the other people

who are waiting on me?

I'm listening, Bob.

You've got a busy schedule.

When I'm late, it wrecks it.

Look, when you take
out a book like that

and start writing on
some other subject,

it says something real loud.

What?

You're not here to
work on the lesson plans.

I am.

Let's get to work.

No.

You can go.

You know what lessons
you want to teach.

We'll just stay
out of your road.

Why are those chemistry
experiments so important?

Can you tell me that?

You're not interested in why
I think those experiments are

important, Christa.

Say it again, let's
see if I can hear it.

I don't want to.

I really don't.

It's two different
views of the world.

You teach social studies,
you see the world that way.

It didn't seem possible for
you to see it any other way.

That's all.

That's not all.

Say everything
about me or anything

else, that'll help us the most.

The idea of a
school room in space

ignited this little
section I'm part of.

We talked about it.

We argued.

We imagined, and out of
it came a beautiful idea.

A teacher performing an
experiment in a weightless

state while the students on
Earth did it along with her

and saw the fantastically
different results.

And that single action would
illuminate the greatest mystery

that surrounds us, gravity.

I think something
all the teachers here

share is the desire
just once or twice along

the way to have our students
absolutely awed by what

they're learning, and we thought
this experiment would do that.

I guess that's why we had
such high hopes for it.

So what we'd like,
Larry, what Morton-Thiokol

would really like is a
close out on the O-rings.

Close out?

Close out means the
problem's solved.

Right.

But the problem with
the O-rings isn't solved.

The problem with the O-rings
is being tracked through

the monthly board review.

Giving a close out here isn't
going to change the work we're

doing or the speed we do it at.

It'll just keep the review
books from getting fatter.

I'm not sure I got that.

Look, giving a close
out would keep the O-ring

situation on one set of books.

It'll get rid of mountains
of unnecessary paperwork.

The books?

One set, two sets, three
sets are there to tell us

we've got a problem, Al.

Now the way to keep the
books from getting fatter

isn't to close them out,
it's to solve the problem.

We're trying to
solve the problem,

but all this paperwork
really slows us down.

Boisjoly, Ebling, all of them
are asking for less paperwork.

Al, paperwork is
not the problem.

And it is not the answer
to what's taking so long.

Now that's my question.

What is taking so long?

You know, I am deeply
committed to the idea

that finding a solution
to the O-ring problem

should not take
longer than it took

to invent the entire
solid rocket booster.

I can't know who's to blame.

You or us, but this thing
is not moving fast enough.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

That was wonderful, Ron.

Thank you.

Did you want to be a
musician when you were a kid?

My grandmother took charge of
what I wanted when I was a kid.

What did she want?

For me to finish high school.

She had her hand on
my back for 10 years.

I mean, it took some doing.

A black boy graduating
from high school

in Lake City, South Carolina in
the 50s was not a usual thing.

When I graduated from college,
I rush back home, well,

my little brother was graduating
from my same high school,

but that was not the
reason I rushed home.

My grandmother was
graduating too.

What did she think
you should do next?

Well, she says I
have too many degrees,

so I should decide for myself.

What do you do with
all those degrees?

Well, I think after
this mission is over,

I'm going to go back to
South Carolina and teach.

Folks, we have a
personal best here tonight.

Ron McNair is the most
lucid guy at NASA.

When it comes to describing
technical things,

he'll fascinate you.

I've never heard him talk
so long about himself.

I think that's right JR.

Come on, now.

You've got to play this.

No.
No.

No more for me.

As a matter of fact,
we have a press

conference tomorrow morning.

Besides it's your turn,
JR. Who raised you?

Oh, no you don't.

Come on, Ron, play.

Come on, please?

No.

Just one more than we'll go.

You know, you twisted my arm.

This will be the
last press opportunity

as this crew will
be in quarantine

between now and the time
that they leave for the Cape.

Ladies and gentlemen,
the crew of STS 51L,

Dick Scobee Commander.

OK, Mark, why don't
we get it started?

Commander Scobee, what do you
enjoy most about spaceflight?

Oh.

All of it, I guess.

In particular, now
there is a launch

with all that
associated machinery

going off all at the same time.

You've been waiting five
years to get into space,

was it worth the wait?

Well, we were
told that it would

take five years when we got
here, so it seems about right.

Are you excited?

Yeah, sure, you bet.

Do you have kids?

Yeah, three kids.

Are they excited?

And how.

They couldn't wait
to get to Florida

so they can go to Disney World.

El, you've been on
the shuttle before.

Do you think taking
civilians up,

any civilians, teachers,
politicians, is a good idea?

I personally don't
feel that we should

consider spaceflight routine.

There's still a lot of
questions about the shuttle.

We should make sure
it's as safe as possible

before we start flying
too many civilians.

On the other hand,
I wouldn't mind

a malfunction or two once
the Challenger reaches orbit.

I spent a lot of time,
hours, underwater training

for an emergency spacewalk,
and I'm anxious to try one.

You mean, you hope
something goes wrong?

Well, I'd love to shimmy up
that remote manipulator arm.

Feel like climbing a
coconut tree back home.

You're the payload
specialists on this slide, Judy,

aren't you?

Mission specialist.

What about the malfunctions
in the simulator?

Do you find them difficult?

I wouldn't say
difficult. It's a matter

of understanding the systems
and practicing a lot.

That's how we train.

We practice a lot.

Do you practice so much that
when you actually get there,

it's an anticlimax.

When you get there, it's
just like you practiced it.

That's what the
simulators are for,

to give you real situations.

Judy, do you
think that Christa

could humanize space better
than the astronauts have?

Christa is a
wonderful teacher,

but we haven't
talked about that.

You ought to ask
her what she thinks.

Christa, are you excited yet?

Well, when this
started, I didn't

think I could get
any more excited,

but it just keeps
building and building.

I'll probably be a nervous
wreck by the time we launch.

Didn't your family
come down for a visit?

Yes, they did.

NASA was wonderful.

They took them on a tour
of the whole Space Center.

What part did they like best?

Well, I asked my daughter
Caroline what she enjoyed most,

she said the tuna sandwich.

Christa, do you have any
concerns about the trip?

Are you worried?

Are you afraid?

Well, I can honestly
say that I'm not .

Maybe I will be when I
walk across that catwalk,

but right now there's
so much to do.

This crew has made me feel
that I'm a part of them.

There's no group of
people that I'd rather

be sharing this adventure
with, no group of people

that I'd rather leave our
planet with than the people

at this table.

Is that crew, Commander?

Has Christa really
become part of the crew?

Well, thinking anybody
who hasn't been trained

is an astronaut is just
something you'd rather not do.

And we had to watch Christa
stumble around a bit,

but she's shown a special
person that she is,

and I don't believe any of
us would go without her now.

Christa says
she's not worried,

but fear might hit her when
she starts to get on board.

What could you say to
put her mind at ease?

I could tell her
that she's right.

The unknown is
mysterious, frightening.

When she walks out and she
sees those giant boosters

and the big tank, 6 million
pounds of fire and thunder

smoking, she'll know it's real.

Ron, I understand that
you often visit schools

and talk to young people.

Yes.

What do you tell them?

Well, that's not really the
province of today's questions,

is it?

Why don't you ask me
questions about laser physics

or Halley's comet?

It's an aspect of you
that I'd like to know about.

All right, I tell them it
doesn't matter who you are,

where you come from, or
how much money you have,

if you want to reach
a goal badly enough

and you're willing to
work hard to get it,

you can be what you want to be.

How does it feel
to finally be getting

a chance to fly in the shuttle?

All right.

Well, basically, fantastic.

And you're on board to?

Do fluid dynamics
experiments, observe how fluids

behave in a weightless state.

Or how I behave in
a weightless state.

You came late to this mission,
been with this crew what,

five or six weeks?

Six, yes.

What feelings do
you have about them?

Admiration.

I wish I could say
this better, but I'm

honored to be one of them.

All right, I think this is
a good point to wrap this up.

We'll see our
astronauts at the Cape.

Thank you, everyone.

That's beautiful, Darien.

Beautiful.

Music to live by.

That was so good.

All right, ready?

Bye bye, son.

Bye bye.

You gonna give Daddy a kiss.

And a hug.

And a hug.

Yeah.

Don't go, Daddy.

Daddy's got to go, Reggie.

You stay with Mama now.

I want to go with Daddy.

Three good engines.

You better be going, Ron.

OK.

Here we go, buddy.

Bye bye, Baby.

I love you.

I love you.

Bye bye.

I'll see you down at
the Cape, OK, honey?

Bye.

Bye bye.

And where's my big girl?

Here you are.

Come Here, you.

Oh.

I'll see you later.
Bye bye.

Bye, honey.

Come on, Scott, let's go.

Now I don't want you
to worry about anything.

I'll run this place
like boot camp.

Good enough.

And we'll be
thinking about you.

Look, Scott, you
know there are always

risks involved in spaceflight.

You have to think about that
because something could happen.

If something did happen,
you'd have to be strong.

I know, Dad.

So don't let anything happen.

But I'll be strong,
if you need me.

Well, I didn't mean
to get into all that.

My Six Months at NASA,
by Christa McAuliffe.

But while we were all talking,
I looked out the window

and I saw our shuttle
pointing up at the sky,

and Bradley's
voice drifted back,

you better tell Steve
to stock up on a lot

more cornflakes, Christa.

Then the dam broke, memories
of the whole past six months.

I can believe it, Christa.

I've watched you go
through a big change.

What do you think
is your most important

discovery in those six months?

What I'll remember most
is what I've learned,

something about
flying the shuttle,

a little about
propulsion systems, a lot

about excellence.

Well, let's see how much
you've really change, Christa.

What's 9 times 7.

Quick.

64.

That's a 2% error.

Now that's pretty good.

Not in my class.

Well, the real journey begins
tomorrow, folks, so what do

you say we go in and
get everybody fed?

Great idea.

Let's go.

No more scrubs.

I'm tired of those.

- Let's just go.
- I thought I'd just ask.

Yeah.

Hi, Horace.

Gene, everybody, I'm leaving
you a cold legacy, Horace.

We got a hard freeze coming
in tonight around 2:00.

Yeah, I heard.

We had a freeze just
about this time last year.

We worked out that
freeze protection plan.

Right.

We're going to try it.

How'd it work?

Well, the only protection
we can give the launch pad

is from the inside, so
we run water continuously

through the pipes in
all of the showers

to keep it from freezing,
just like you do at home.

Well, let's get it ready.

Lower 20s, we're going to
need everything we got.

Better put the ice
team on a special alert.

Right.

What do we got
from the contractors?

Anybody say how this
freeze is going to affect

the principle systems?

Nothing yet.

Any other element in the solid
rockets this cold will affect?

Oh, I think the
O-rings is the main one.

The O-rings are made of rubber
and rubber is affected by cold,

so we know we've got
some kind of problem.

How much of a
problem, we can't tell.

We don't have enough data.

No tests have ever
been run on the O-rings

at temperatures that low.

I want to get Marshall
in on this right away.

Let's get Cecil Houston to
arrange a telephone conference

between us and the Marshall
engineers both down at Kennedy

and at Huntsville.

This problem could
definitely affect the launch.

Ladies and gentlemen,
this is a diamond stylus.

This is a magnum of champagne.

We're going to carve on
the one with the other.

Then what are we going to
do, put it in a time capsule?

Oh, no, no, no, everyone
gets to carve their name on it,

and then when we're
back home in Houston,

we have one hell of a party
and this bottle of champagne

gets to kick it off.

All right.

Nobody reporting launch
violations due to the cold?

Not yet, Horace.

Kind of hard to believe.

Is tomorrow definite?

As definite as we can
be with this weather.

Well, looking at the
predictions for tonight,

you could have a delay.

If there's another
scrub, how will

that affect future flights?

We're planning on
launching tomorrow.

If there's a delay, we'll
deal with it as we always do.

Aren't you getting tight
for the March 6 launch?

Our schedule is always tight.

We're used to tight.

But to have any hope of
keeping the schedule you've

announced for 1986, don't
you have to get Challenger

off within the next two days?

No, that isn't exactly so.

Well, we know the March
6 launch can't be moved,

so how are you--

I want to be perfectly
clear about something.

The decision to launch
Challenger or any other orbiter

will not be influenced
by schedule pressure.

We'll sit on the ground until
we believe it's safe to go.

The safety of the
crew and the orbiter

will be the sole criterion.

This is Cecil, Houston.

I think we have
everyone connected.

Can you all hear me?

Yes.

Yeah.

Yes.

Morton-Thiokol has
some concerns about

the effect the cold
weather might have

on the solid rocket boosters.

So let's get started.

Morton-Thiokol, do you
want to kick it off?

I will.

I've got a question.

I keep getting this
boomerfest every time.

Wait a minute, I'm
getting a voice delay.

Maybe if you talk
a little slower.

All right, let's try it again.

Go ahead, Judson.

What did you guys at
Morton-Thiokol come up with?

Will these low temperatures
affect the performance

of the solid rockets?

We've been working
on it, Judson.

There's really no
experience base

for that kind of
low temperature,

but it does look
like there could

be serious problems in
launching in this kind of cold.

Can you give us
some specifics?

I lost it after what he
about serious problems.

I keep hearing my own
voice coming back at me.

Wait.

Wait.

We didn't get that, Stan.

We're not getting
anywhere with this.

The problem is we're
on a two wire system that

can't carry this much traffic.

We're going to have to go out to
the marshall office at Kennedy,

use the telecom system
they got set up out there.

You all stay right
where you are.

Set to separate.

That OK with everybody?

Yeah.

Yes.

OK, I'll be here.

Look at that.

Well, I think it's
about that time, folks.

Yeah, it's time for the families
to head on home, because

from this point on, I want the
crew to be thinking of nothing

but the mission, all right?

Nobody's going home.

There are parties here in
Titusville, parties in Orlando.

We have three bus
loads of our own.

Y'all have fun.

I'll be in much more of a
party mood when I get back.

I'll see you in a week, hon.

OK.

I did it.

Your thesis?

Yeah.

When the flight got delayed,
I called the university

and they said if I mailed
it before the launch

that they would give
me my degree in orbit.

The first degree
awarded in space.

Greg, this is inspiring.

Well, you've got to get it
to Hughes by tomorrow morning

so they can type it up and
take it over to the university.

Oh, it'll be
there first thing.

There ought to be
something momentous to say.

Like what?

There's nothing that we
need to say to each other.

Well, something better than
see you in a week, honey.

I'll see you in
a week sounds good.

Hits it on the head.

Well, catch some
stardust for me, will ya?

All I can hold.

See ya in a week, honey.

Oh, thank you.

You look for me and
the kids tomorrow, OK?

We'll be the ones waving.

I'll spot you.

The kids OK?

Oh, they're fine.

Fine.

They're excited.

I told them I'd take them to
Disney World if you didn't go,

but I have a feeling
you're going to go.

I think you'll
finally be up there.

I love you, sweetheart.

I love you, sweetheart.

And I love you
and the kids more

than anything on this earth.

I'll pull out
the nightstand now.

Quiet.

You take care, OK?

Kiss for the kids.

OK, bye.

Bye.

Watch it.

This is Janelle's.

She doesn't like her swea--

Some swell time for you
to get romantic, eh, you.

You want to hang around?

I want you to hang around.

I'm going to throw away
your roller skates.

OK, bye.

Cecil Houston.

This is the Coast Guard.

Yes, sir.

What can I do for
the Coast Guard?

We're in communication with
your two recovery vessels,

the ones that will pick
up the solid rocket

boosters after launch tomorrow.

Yes.

They're on station 120
miles due east of here.

Right.

That's right.

They're in a full
gale out there.

Captain Devlin says
he's never been

in conditions like these
outside of a hurricane

in the North Atlantic.

50 knot winds, extended
gusts holding at 72 knots,

waves 30 feet high.

Those are shallow draft
vessels and they're in survival

mode heading back to Houston.

The thing is, they won't be on
station to retrieve the rockets

if you launch in the morning.

Don't know if that will
affect your plans or not.

No, I did get your
message, Christa.

I was sorry not to have
a chance to say goodbye

so I'm glad you called again.

I called because I thought
about our discussions, Bob,

and I really do think you all
created a beautiful experiment.

I had to become a student
again to appreciate it.

I just wanted to say that
and I wanted to thank you.

That's great, Christa.

I'll tell everybody.

I hope you will.

It'll mean a lot to me.

It'll mean a lot to them.

Say, did I sound like a
Texan when I said y'all?

There you go.

Now you're talking English.

Listen, have a
good trip, Christa.

I think we all had a chance to
become students again and learn

something from each other.

I know I'm speaking for
everybody here when I say

we'll be thinking about you.

I'll carry that with me.

See you when I get back, Bob.

All right.

Bye.

Bye bye.

This is Cecil Houston.

I think everybody's hooked up.

I want to say first
that the boost recovery

vessels are fighting a hell
of a gale about 100 miles

out to sea.

Soon as this telecom
is over, I'll

have to see if
Arnie Aldrich wants

to launch without those
vessels on station.

OK, Bob Lund, why
don't you start?

This is Joe Kilminster.

Earlier today, we were
informed about the extremely

low temperatures predicted
for tomorrow morning's launch.

The main question
we're looking at

is how the O-rings in
the solid rocket booster

would be affected.

Now we put together some
charts with information

from previous flights.

We'll go over those and then
make our recommendations.

Give us a minute, will ya?

The charts are just
coming over the fax now.

Yeah, that's fine.

Sorry about the delay.

Arnie Thompson
and Roger Boisjoly

have been doing the research.

They'll make the presentation.

Arnie?

We have no data on O-rings
operating at temperatures this

low, but we've put
together a rationale based

on the information we have.

The charts are mostly not
typed, so if there's a problem

reading them, let us know.

I'll begin by
citing flight 15,

which was launched a year ago.

The temperature
at that launch was

53 degrees, which is the coldest
reading experience to date.

We're faxing a chart now
that shows the O-ring erosion

on that flight.

Any questions so far?

Go ahead.

We've got the chart
coming through.

The Air Force estimates 29
degrees at launch tomorrow

morning.

That is far below any
temperature we've launched

with before, so determining
if this extreme cold

will affect the O-rings, and if
it does, how much, is critical.

The chart you're
getting relate to that.

The indication is that
the cold hardened O-rings

will be slower in sealing.

Therefore, there could
be hot gas leakage

past the primary
seal, and because

of that increased danger of
the backup O-ring being eroded.

So our recommendation is?

You should see it on the
sheet coming through now.

Not launching until
the temperature

is at least 53 degrees.

Whoa.

Wait a minute.

Am I looking at
the right charts?

The charts I've got don't
support that conclusion.

They do.

I think they do.

Well, I've listened to
everything you've said

and I just don't see how
you got that recommendation.

Well, it's not logical.

Why it's perfectly logical.

Well, you began by saying
what you're presenting can't be

proved, and I agree, it can't.

But now you're drawing
serious conclusions from it,

and you're making very
serious recommendations.

Serious recommendations
are called for.

Well, of course,
that's why we're here.

But what you're saying
sounds like Morton-Thiokol

is establishing new
launch commit criteria

the night before a launch.

Now these solid rocket boosters
have been operating under very

definite specifications.

You suddenly want
to change them.

You now want to base everything
on this 53 degree benchmark.

At that rate, it could be spring
before the shuttle would fly.

My god, Thiokol, when do you
want me to launch, next April?

No, I don't think we want to
change launch commit criteria.

We're trying to see
if it's safe to launch

with the O-rings experiencing
these severe temperatures.

The benchmark of 53 degrees
is based on my personal

observation of flight 15,
where we had O-ring erosion

and blow by in both boosters.

By blow by, I mean the gases
went right past the O-ring,

didn't erode it, didn't
even take the shine off it.

That tells us lower
temperature is a factor.

Right, I'm looking at
your chart on flight 15.

There was erosion, but the
worst erosion we've ever had

was on flight 2
and the temperature

outside was 70 degrees.

Now where in what
you're presenting

is the correlation between
low temperature and erosion?

Your charts even seem
to support the opposite.

I'm not talking
about only erosion.

I'm talking about blow by
is the important thing here.

All right, but where is the
connection to low temperature?

If the worst erosion
occurred at 70 degrees,

where is your data
to support your idea

of a connectionless between
low temperature and erosion?

I don't have any other
data than what I sent to you,

but I saw with my own eyes there
was a much larger arch of soot

between the two O-rings.

The soot was much
blacker and it penetrated

all the way to the secondary
ring, which was also scorched.

When I see he grease
was black, I mean

it was black just like coal.

It was jet black.

What does the color
mean, do you know?

What engineering data supports
your idea that the color

of soot means something?

Maybe it does, but what?

It would be very dangerous
to start guessing at it.

I have no other data than
what I'm presenting to you.

I have tried to
get additional data

as a member of the O-ring
task force since last October,

but I have not been successful.

I'm looking at some
of your other charts.

Oh, this chart on flight 22.

Are you looking at that one?

Yes.

On flight 22, there
was also blow by past

the primary O-ring, right?

That's correct.

Yeah, but the temperature
that day was 75 degrees,

so I'm not clear
what you're saying.

If low temperature
has a dangerous effect

on the O-rings, why
do we have both blow

by and erosion at 75 degrees?

I'm not talking
about only erosion

and damage to the O-ring.

I'm talking about blow by
as revealed by the post

flight analysis
of flight 15 when

the temperature was 53 degrees.

All, right how much
erosion was there?

It was minor compared
to other erosions

but it was black and
sooty and more extensive.

Now, if you have
no data to say what

darker or lighter
means, let's just leave

color out of the equation.

Now you just said the
erosion was more extensive.

If it was, why didn't
it burn the O-ring more?

I don't know the
answer to that,

but I know it looked worse.

You're saying it looked worse.

The dark color
made it seem worse?

But the figures on your
charts, which I'm looking at,

say it wasn't worse.

A direct relationship
between O-ring performance

and cold temperature is
not supported by your data.

You're putting what I said
into a different context.

I'm putting it
into the context

that I learned in
engineering school.

That you have to have
reliable data to come

to an engineering conclusion.

I don't have that data.

All I'm saying is that
launching it below freezing

is an act away from goodness.

All I'm saying is we
should go by our experience

base, as limited as that is.

And our experience base says
that at 53 degrees or less,

we can expect increased
erosion and blow by.

This is Stan Reinhard.

Can I interrupt a second?

Roger, it's my understanding
that the solid rocket boosters

are qualified by
contract for operation

between 40 and 90 degrees.

This 53 degrees
specification would

be setting a new benchmark.

Are the solids qualified at
40 degrees or aren't they?

Let me ask something else.

How come this wasn't brought
up at the post-scrub meeting

this afternoon?

How come temperature as a
function of O-ring performance

has never been
brought up before.

Two weeks ago,
Columbia's launch was

aborted 31 seconds before
liftoff and the temperature

was 42 degrees.

How come Morton-Thiokol
didn't insist

on his 53 degrees minimum then?

I'm sorry.

Well, I just don't get
your recommendation.

It's away from goodness to
make any other recommendation.

Listen, if being in
the direction of goodness

means wanting a successful
result for this mission,

I want that result. Everybody
involved in this telecom

wants it.

Be reassured, Roger, you
are not in the direction

of goodness by yourself.

But we've got an engineering
decision to make here,

and it's got to be made
on quantifiable data.

Now, I-- well, I want
to ask Joe Kilminster

for his recommendation.

Based on this presentation
by our engineers

here at Morton-Thiokol, I
can't recommend the launch.

I think we should get
George Hardy's comments.

Well, let me ask
first, does Thiokol

have any more to transmit?

Any further views?

Because if not, I'm appalled
that they could arrive

at the recommendation not to
launch given the data that's

been presented, especially
so late on the evening

before a launch.

I agree with Larry Mulloy.

I make the same
assessment he does,

but if Thiokol
recommends not launching,

I'm certainly not
going to override it.

We'd like to go
offline for five minutes

here and have a conference.

All right.

We won't get an absolute
fix till early morning,

but we're forecasting clear
skies and acceptable winds.

I don't get that forecast
from today's weather.

I bet we don't launch
for another three days.

Well, you could
be right, Mike.

You know this Florida
weather gives us fits.

Well, what do the
abort sites look like?

Dakar and Morocco are your
principal options, Scobe.

You got high winds off
the desert in Morocco

but they're dropping.

Mm-hmm.

is Edward still good as
the once around site.

Yeah, Edwards is fine.

OK.

That it?

All right, Joe,
thanks very much.

Anything else?

One thing we take you for
sure, it's gonna be cold,

so wear your mittens.

Talk to you in the morning.
- Right.

Good night.

Thanks.

Well, nothing to do
but wait and see.

Two days ago they
scrub us because they

forecast bad weather and
the launch time is fine.

That's Florida
weather for you.

We live with it every day.

What bothers me is decisions
being made by guys who

have never even flown a plane.

Relax, Mike, if the
weather's good, we'll go.

If it's not, we'll
watch Gunga Din again.

We have a management
decision as much

as an engineering decision.

Well, Hardy and Mulloy
are right about one thing.

We don't have the data to
support our recommendation.

I want to make
sure I've got this.

The worry is that
temperatures in the 20s or 30s

could cause the primary
O-ring to seal more slowly.

If it did, we could
get some blow by.

That's right.

But don't we have some
tests that show how the--

We have tests showing
that even if a blow

by cut 125,000 of an
inch out of the O-ring,

it would still seal.

Let me just show you
again in the simplest

terms why I say we shouldn't
launch in less than 53 degrees.

Even if we don't have 10
pages of historical data,

there's only one
right conclusion.

Here, look at this
picture of the black soot.

I'll tell you, it
makes an impression

on me if George Hardy
says he's appalled

at something we recommend.

His point is, and I think
you have to listen to it,

is that even if you get blow
by of the primary O-ring,

the secondary O-ring is still
in the proper position to seal.

Our charts may
be inconclusive,

our data insufficient,
but everything we do

have shows we'll be safer
launching at 53 degrees

or above.

That's clear.

That's absolutely clear.

It's time to make a decision.

Bob, take off your
engineer's hat

and put on your management hat.

This is Joe Kilminster.

We've assessed the data and
reviewed all our charts.

Even though we had some concerns
about the low temperatures,

we now recommend
proceeding with the launch.

Does anyone in the loop
have a different position?

I'll type the letter and send
it down tonight on the fax.

Well, let's go home now.

Goodnight, George.

Good night.

Good night.

Get some rest, Larry.

Yep.

Getting worse.

Every point the temperature
drops, we get more ice.

What's the temperature
out on the pad now?

22.

Where's Steventon?

Monitor two.

Charlie?

Charlie?

We've got to put the
rationale together

pretty quick about the launch.

Roger.

Now just give me your
assessment of the situation.

I've got the details
on the monitors,

but it doesn't tell me--

it doesn't give me
an overall picture.

It's grim, Horace.

Here at the joint of 35 foot
level, there's ice everywhere.

This metal grating
that I'm standing on

is one solid sheet of ice.

OK.

Work your way down to
the 195 foot level.

See what it's like
where the crew

will be walking to the orbiter.

[PHONE RINGING]

Hello?

Well, did you get the flowers?

What did you do,
win the lottery?

Scobee probably did
something like that,

and I didn't want to
look bad in comparison.

Oh, El, they're
absolutely beautiful.

Oh, how can somebody
screw things up so bad

and then unscrew them up, huh?

What's somebody supposed to
do with you, country boy?

I got an idea, but you
probably wouldn't like it.

I think we should
take a vacation.

Man, that's a horrible idea.

Think of something else.

[KNOCKING]

Come on, El, curfew.

I've got to go.

I'll see you in a week, honey.

OK, bye.

At the 195 foot
level here, there's

extensive sheet ice
between the elevator

where the crew will
emerge and the escape

baskets on the west side.

You see it?

Yeah, got it in closeup.

If the crew had
to be evacuated,

they'd have to run
across that ice.

It's very slippery, Horace.

They'd have a problem.

What about the handrails?

There's ice all over that too.

Long icicles hanging down.

There's a hell of a
lot of ice everywhere.

That's a simple fact.

Can you see the impact
of this on your monitor?

I get it.

The closeups look like
something out of Dr. Zhivago.

Now the big problem
is the massive ice

on the whole structure.

What's going to happen when
those rockets light off and all

that ice gets shook loose?

I'd say the only choice you have
today, Horace, is not to go.

All right, Charlie,
come on back in.

We are now at T minus 4
hours 12 minutes and counting.

Weather prediction at the
moment is clear for launch

with acceptable winds aloft.

Still concern however
about the cold temperatures

and whether they'll violate
the launch commit criteria.

Morning, Mr. Aldrich.

Morning.

Small news, but
good news, Arnie.

The ice on the side of the
gantry facing the orbiter

is starting to melt.

That's better, but
we're still a long way

from out of the woods.

We just might be all
right by launch time.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Right.

We'll keep monitoring
that and call

me back is anything changes.

If the south side of
the gap is clear of ice,

we could be looking pretty good.

Well, we'll look
at it real careful.

Looking better now though.

Now you take very
good care of my stuff.

My football tickets
are in there.

Sure.

In case of an abort, I'll fly
them to you personally, Scobe.

What is your primary
abort site, Dakar?

Uh-huh.

Well, due to the
cold, you'll probably

have considerable hold time.

Might even have lift
off close to noon.

Well, one thing we
know how to do is hold.

Right.

Hey, Christa, how do you feel?

I feel great.

Everybody call home?

Yes, teacher.

Imagine all the people who
came to Florida for a vacation

and are going home
with frostbite.

A personal note, folks, if
you need to use the toilet,

I suggest you use the one at
the bottom of the building.

The stairs to the crew
lavatory are blocked by ice.

I've decided I'm not going
till I'm back on Earth.

T minus one hour.

Everything continues to
look favorable for an on

time launch of the 51L mission.

My kind of weather.

We've got a
beautiful day to fly.

A little cold thought, Dick.

Nah, that's good.

It's OK.

All right?

Ready?

Thank you.

OK, take it easy.

See you in a week.

Have a good flight.

See you up there, El.

Bye.

Get your feet through?

OK.

You're gonna need a haircut.

Well, next time I see
you, we'll be in space.

Right.

I've got a present for you.

It's an apple.

Johnny.

Thank you.

Save it for me.

I'll eat it when I get back.

It'll be waiting
right here for you.

Bye.

Greg, morning.
- Great.

Morning.

It looks like you're
really going to go today.

I sure hope so.

T minus 50 minutes.

Pilot Michael J. Smith has
been asked by the orbiter test

conductor to configure switches
in the cockpit to preactivate

the water spray boilers.

That's good.

See ya.

Scobe, the resetting we talked
about, save that for the hold.

It's coming up in a
couple of minutes.

And, Mike, you can
start yours now.

This will be the
first of two planned

holds remaining before
the launch of mission 51L.

You've done this
before, haven't you?

Well, maybe once or twice.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hey, Reggie, come on in here.

How you doing?

Hi, Cheryl.

How are you?

Lorna, make me some coffee.

OK.

Black.

Right.

Gosh, I hope
that's not an omen.

Jane.

Launch sequencer has started
retracting the orbiter crew

access arm, which is the
walkway used by the astronauts

to climb in the vehicle.

I'm going to make voice
contact with each of you.

OK, Judy, say something, please.

Cowabunga.

Cowabunga, what's that?

That's how cold it is in here.

Still no danger.

It's ice cold up
in the solid rocket

that's violate launch
commit criteria.

On the other hand, the ice
on the launch pad structures

is still there.

So the problem
is could that ice

get involved with the
orbiter when we blast off?

Right.

Of course, you got
a warm sun now.

There's considerable
melting going on.

That's helping things.

I sure don't want
to see those icicles

turned into flying missiles.

Let me get one more
recommendation from the pad.

We are at T minus 20
minutes and counting.

Purge of the orbiter's
fuel cells is now underway,

and the data processing
engineer has confirmed

the onboard computers
are in the process

of making the transition
to the terminal

countdown configuration.

Pilot Mike Smith has configured
the cockpit instrument

panel displays for launch.

All right, we're
clear on the ice.

Let's go.

Commander, there's word from
level one, Challenger is a go.

Count down is
continuing in 4 minutes.

Have a wonderful trip.

You're a wonderful crew.

All right.

That's great.

Cowabunga.

Double.

T minus 4 minutes,
and a final purge

sequence of the main
engines is underway.

Ground launch
sequencer will make

a final check to make sure the
vent arm is fully retracted.

Orbiter ground support equipment
power bus has been turned off,

and the vehicle is
now on internal power.

T minus 3 minutes 15 seconds.

Come on, Roger,
they're about the launch.

No, I don't really want to.

Come on.

Sit down.

The pilot Mike
Smith has cleared

the caution and memory system.

No unexpected errors reported.

Liquid oxygen check under way,
and the liquid oxygen tank

approaching flight pressure.

T minus 2 minutes and counting.

The liquid hydrogen
replenish has been terminated

and liquid hydrogen
pressurization to flight level

is under way.

The vehicle is now isolated
from all ground propellants

and crew loading equipment.

Activate auxiliary
power units.

APUs coming on.

We have three good APUs.

Challenger is coming alive.

Less than two minutes.

T minus 1 minute 44
seconds and counting.

There goes the
beanie cap, folks.

Visors down, everybody,
and welcome to space.

At T minus 2 minutes,
we are anticipating

the launch of Challenger.

The cold weather has
set us back quite a bit,

but they're actually nearing
the launch, and at this point

the families are
still maintaining

all their excitement,
even with the delays.

I'm sure at this point
the astronauts are

more than ready to be taking
off of that launch pad,

and I'm sure
Christa is just as--

as thrilled as can be.

I know I am just standing here
waiting for it all to happen.

The cold weather actually formed
some icicles on the launch pad

and they were able to
remove some of that

and through some
deicing processes

they have now
cleared the launch.

T minus 30 seconds,
and we've had

a go for auto sequence start.

The SRV hydraulic power
units have started.

T minus 21 seconds, and
SRB gimbal now underway.

T minus 15 seconds.

T minus 10 seconds.

9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Oh I have slipped the
surly bonds of earth.

And danced to the skies
on laughter silvered wings.

High in the sun that silence
over there i chase the shouting

wind alone.

And flung my eager craft
through footless halls of air.

Up, up, the long
delirious burning blue.

I've topped the wind swept
heights with easy grace

where never lark
or even eagle flew.

And while with
silent lifting mind,

I've tried the high
untrespassed sanctity of space.

Put out my hand, and
touch the face of God.

[MUSIC PLAYING]