Netflix Docuseries ‘Challenger: The Final Flight’ Reexamines The Tragic 1986 Challenger Disaster

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger is one of the most tragic and haunting disasters of the American space program. The Shuttle exploded just 73 seconds into its flight as million of Americas watched in horror on TV. The Netflix original docuseries ‘Challenger: The Final Flight’ looks back at that tragic day in 1986 and the series of mistakes and mechanical failures at NASA that led to the Challenger disaster.

The Diversity Of The Space Shuttle Challenger Crew

Throughout the history of the Space Shuttle program, each launch always attracted an excited crowd of TV viewers. But the diversity of the Space Shuttle Challenger crew generated special attention for this mission beyond the usual audience of NASA fans. The Challenger had one of the first Black astronauts, Ronald McNair, the first Asian American ever to go to space, Ellison Onizuka, and two of the first female astronauts, Judy Resnik and high school teacher Christa McAuliffe, the first private citizen in space.

Students And Teachers Rally Behind Christa McAuliffe

The inclusion of McAuliffe on the Space Shuttle Challenger crew energized and inspired school systems in the United States. Leading up to the launch, thousands of schools created lesson plans around NASA, outer space, and even planned special live Space Shuttle Challenger launch viewings for students. I was one of them. My entire school gathered in the auditorium to watch the Challenger launch. Moments later, most students left the auditorium in tears and returned to their classrooms for grief counseling.

Challenger The Final Flight Trailer

Challenger: The Final Flight is executive produced by J.J. Abrams (Star Wars, Mission Impossible, Star Trek) and Glen Zipper (Dogs, Showbiz Kids). The four-part docuseries incorporates rare footage and interviews with both the crew’s surviving family members and former NASA employees to provide one of the most in-depth analyses of the Challenger disaster.

Challenger: The Final Flight Release Date

The Netflix original docuseries, Challenger: The Final Flight, debuts on Netflix on Wednesday, September 16, 2020. A subscription to Netflix is required to watch the series.