After the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart in 1986, NASA investigators found evidence suggesting that some crew members may have survived the initial breakup. At least three emergency breathing packs were manually activated, something that required conscious action. Data indicates the crew cabin likely remained intact for several seconds during the fall. The final recorded crew audio — often attributed to pilot Michael J. Smith — captured a quiet “Uh oh” roughly 73 seconds after liftoff. The

#OnThisDay 40 years ago, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after takeoff, claiming the lives of the entire crew. Astronaut and physicist Ronald E. McNair was among the crew members on board. His brother, Carl, came to StoryCorps to remember Ronald’s childhood aspirations. | StoryCorps