Challenger
A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space
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4.6 • 225 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Winner of the 2024 Kirkus Nonfiction Prize • Shortlisted for the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction • Finalist for the 2024 National Book Critics Circle Award in Nonfiction • A New York Times Notable Book of 2024
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Stunning…A heart-pounding thriller…Challenger is a remarkable book.” —The Atlantic • “Devastating…A universal story that transcends time.” —The New York Times • “Dramatic…a moving narrative.” —The Wall Street Journal
From the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, “compelling, and exhaustively researched” (The Washington Post) minute-by-minute account of the Challenger disaster, based on fascinating and new archival research—a riveting history that reads like a thriller.
On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in 20th-century history—one that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future. Yet the full story of what happened, and why, has never been told.
Based on extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space follows a handful of central protagonists—including each of the seven members of the doomed crew—through the years leading up to the accident, and offers a detailed account of the tragedy itself and the investigation afterward. It’s a compelling tale of ambition and ingenuity undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and later hidden from the public.
Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program and the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster, as well as the designers, engineers, and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space. A masterful blend of riveting human drama and fascinating and absorbing science, Challenger identifies a turning point in history—and brings to life an even more complex and astonishing story than we remember.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
The story of the space shuttle Challenger ended tragically just 73 seconds after its final liftoff on January 28, 1986, but this compelling work of investigative journalism shows there’s a bigger, more scandalous story behind that short-lived flight. Journalist Adam Higginbotham meticulously unpacks the disaster, diving into all aspects from political machinations that led to the shuttle’s flaws to the stories of people who worked to thwart shady cover-ups of the disaster afterwards. Higginbotham tells the personal stories of all parties involved, from whistleblowers to the astronauts’ spouses. His exceptionally well-rounded look at the disaster strikes a great balance between technical (yet approachable) deep-dives and the emotional side, whether it’s the astronauts’ pre-flight excitement and anticipation or the sheer shock of a mission controller the moment disaster hit. Even if you thought you knew everything about the Challenger disaster, this book’s mesmerizing anatomy of the catastrophe will give you fresh insight—and potentially stoke a few tears.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this gripping history, bestseller Higginbotham (Midnight in Chernobyl) recaps the Jan. 28, 1986, explosion that destroyed the space shuttle Challenger soon after liftoff, killing all seven crew members, and the tragedy's roots in a culture of negligence and recklessness at NASA. He explores the flaws that plagued the fiendishly complex shuttle design, focusing on the rubber O-rings used to seal joints in the shuttle's twin solid rocket boosters to prevent catastrophic leaks of hot gas during lift-off. Engineers at Morton Thiokol, the rockets' manufacturer, noticed worrisome signs that the O-rings could fail, especially in cold weather—like the sub-freezing temperatures at Cape Canaveral on the day of the launch. Higginbotham narrates the tense conference at which Morton Thiokol's engineers pleaded with NASA to postpone the launch, only to have NASA officials, determined to quicken the pace of launches for budgetary reasons, pressure them into green-lighting it. Higginbotham's colorful narrative contrasts the eager idealism of Challenger's crew, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe, with the arrogance of NASA honchos who dismissed warnings and casually gambled with the astronauts' lives. His account of the engineering issues is lucid and meticulous, and his evocative prose conveys both the extraordinary achievement of rocket scientists in harnessing colossal energies with delicate mechanisms and the sudden cataclysms that erupt when the machinery fails. The result is a beguiling saga of the peril and promise of spaceflight.
Customer Reviews
Touching the Face of God
I just finished reading this book today, January 28, 2025 or 39 years to the day of the explosion. Great book with attention to detail. This book revealed and reminded me of so many events associated with this tragedy. I had totally forgotten that all seven astronauts survived the explosion and “touched the face God” as they descended for two minutes before hitting the waters of the Atlantic. I highly recommend this book to learn about human nature, heroism, and the spirit of exploration.
In depth reporting of a national tragedy
The author goes into great detail the terrible tragedy and also gives an nearly 50 year history of nasa at the same time. Great for any space buff
Exceptional Story Telling
Once again, Adam takes a complicated disaster known throughout the world and helps us understand the many layers that lead to human error. Adam’s exceptional storytelling replaces the need for history books on the same subjects.
Whatever you thought you knew about the Challenger disaster is enhanced and laid bare. With careful character development intertwined with technical analysis, you walk away with both a renewed emotional attachment to our space hero’s and a crisp opinion of the persons that played a supporting role in the disaster.
I can’t help but think, what project is next for Adam? I’ll buy it the second it’s released…