Author: Kevin Cook
Started: Jun. 21, 2021
Finished: Jun. 24, 2021
The Challenger was supposed to be the way the United States reclaimed the importance of space flight. Ronald Reagan, realizing he did not have the support of the teacher's unions, decided that sending a teacher into space and stressing the important role teachers play in our society was the best thing to do. Christa McAullife was the lucky winner and began a whirlwind period of tv interviews and learning how to survive in space. After multiple delays, the crew boards the shuttle on January 28, 1986, and waits for the countdown. Minutes after taking off, the unimaginable happens. There is an explosion and the worst occurs. It is originally believed that the crew of the Challenger died during the explosion but this book reveals the truth.
I remembering watching the replay of the shuttle explosion while eating lunch at home and didn't really understand the implications of what had happened. Reading about it over 30 years later helped me better understand what happened that day and the way it affected the nation. Kevin Cook did an exceptional job of breaking down each astronaut's days leading up to the flight and then how heartbroken the families were. This is my second book by Kevin Cook and I am looking forward to reading more.