Challenger: America's Space Tragedy

by Michael D. Cole

Recounts the tragic explosion that destroyed the Challenger space shuttle moments after liftoff, and discusses the investigation into the causes of the disaster.

Library Binding

First published June 1, 1995

Reviews

[Selah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a difficult book for me to read aloud to my kids. I cried several times while reading. The Challenger explosion is the first major event that I remember, as I was 7-1/2 years old at the time. I had forgotten, or never knew, that the crew cabin didn't explode. That surprised me.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite the fact this is geared towards a younger audience - its only 35 pages - Cole doesn't shy from getting into just how political both the mission and the disaster were.

The crew come to life here, using their own words from interviews and recordings, underscoring the human factor of the disaster, as much as the book also lays out the big picture of how corporations and government agencies allowed this to happen.