The Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986.

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When was the Challenger disaster?

  • Date of disaster: January 28, 1986.
  • Location: Shortly after launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, over the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Time after liftoff: The shuttle broke apart about 73 seconds into flight.

The launch was meant to be a routine mission that included the “Teacher in Space” program, but unusually cold weather and a known weakness in the solid rocket boosters’ O-rings led to a catastrophic failure just over a minute after liftoff.

Very short answer

The space shuttle Challenger disaster was on January 28, 1986.

TL;DR: The Challenger disaster happened on January 28, 1986, a little over one minute after launch from Cape Canaveral.

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