What was the temperature the morning of the shuttle Challenger disaster?
I found the answer in the “Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident,” which was published in June 1986. This was the commission headed by William P. Rogers. On Jan. 28, 1986, the day of the accident, the low temperature was 24 degrees Fahrenheit at a weather observation site near the Kennedy Shuttle Landing Facility. At the time of the launch, the temperature was 36 degrees F. at a camera site about 1,000 feet southeast of the launch pad. The Rogers Commission concluded that the cause of the accident was “the failure of the pressure seal (an “o-ring” ) in the aft field joint of the right solid rocket motor.” Causes of this failure include “temperature effects.” In brief, the cold made the 0-ring stiff and it probably didn’t seal properly. At the time of the launch, a strong jet stream wind was blowing over Florida. The shuttle’s response to the sudden change in wind speed when it entered the jet stream could have helped open up the joint, allowing
