01 | The Challenger Legacy: Launch Fever

from Science Friction · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

It's the morning of January 28th, 1986. On board the space shuttle Challenger are seven astronauts, including teacher Christa McAuliffe.She is set to be the first ever teacher in space. But Christa never makes it to orbit.In the wake of an unprecedented disaster, questions start to be asked.Should this mission have been launched in the first place?To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-risk decision making, search ‘Science Friction: The Challenger Legacy podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.Guests:John TribeRetired shuttle engineerSteve NesbittFormer NASA public affairs officerJune Scobee RodgersWidow of Challenger commander Dick ScobeeAdam HigginbothamAuthor, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of SpaceCredits:Presenters: Fiona Pepper and Karl KruszelnickiReporter: Fiona PepperSenior Producer: James BullenSeries Producer: Jonathan WebbExecutive Producer: Petria LadgroveSound Engineer: Tim JenkinsArchives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael OsmondThis story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

What this episode covers

It's the morning of January 28th, 1986. On board the space shuttle Challenger are seven astronauts, including teacher Christa McAuliffe. She is set to be the first ever teacher in space. But Christa never makes it to orbit. In the wake of an unprecedented disaster, questions start to be asked. Should this mission have been launched in the first place? To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 Challenger space shuttle disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-risk decision making, search ‘Science Friction: The Challenger Legacy podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts. Guests: John Tribe Retired shuttle engineer Steve Nesbitt Former NASA public affairs officer June Scobee Rodgers Widow of Challenger commander Dick Scobee Adam Higginbotham Author, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space Credits: Presenters: Fiona Pepper and Karl Kruszelnicki Reporter: Fiona Pepper Senior Producer: James Bullen Series Producer: Jonathan Webb Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.

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01 | The Challenger Legacy: Launch Fever

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This episode was published on January 20, 2026.

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