Challenger

A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

By: Adam Higginbotham

Narrated by: Jacques Roy

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in Nonfiction • Winner of the Kirkus Nonfiction Prize • Shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction • A New York Times Notable Book

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “Stunning…A heart-pounding thriller…Challenger is a remarkable book.” —The Atlantic • “Devastating…A universal story that transcends time.” —The New York Times • “Dramatic…a moving narrative.” —The Wall Street Journal

From the New York Times bestselling author of Midnight in Chernobyl comes the definitive, “compelling, and exhaustively researched” (The Washington Post) minute-by-minute account of the Challenger disaster, based on fascinating and new archival research—a riveting history that reads like a thriller.

On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of the crew, which included New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like the assassination of JFK, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in 20th-century history—one that forever changed the way America thought of itself and its optimistic view of the future. Yet the full story of what happened, and why, has never been told.

Based on extensive archival research and metic­ulous, original reporting, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space follows a handful of central protagonists—including each of the seven members of the doomed crew—through the years leading up to the accident, and offers a detailed account of the tragedy itself and the inves­tigation afterward. It’s a compelling tale of ambition and ingenuity undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and later hidden from the public.

Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program and the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster, as well as the designers, engineers, and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space. A masterful blend of riveting human drama and fascinating and absorbing science, Challenger identifies a turning point in history—and brings to life an even more complex and astonishing story than we remember.

Critic reviews

"Heyborne's enthusiasm will keep listeners engaged in learning about where architecture and the future of “livable” cities might be headed."

"Jacques Roy adeptly treads the line between measured and conversational in this excellent performance of Higginbotham’s investigation of the 1986 CHALLENGER catastrophe. Roy maintains the listener’s attention through detailed accounts of the science and engineering underlying the NASA space program while also bringing to life the people involved. We hear the cheerfulness of Christa McAuliffe, who was to be the first teacher in space; the smoldering dread of engineer Roger Boisjoly as he consistently warned that the O-rings could fail in cold weather; and the scathing disbelief of Richard Feynman, who famously plunged an O-ring into ice water during the investigation. The hubris of NASA will remain with listeners, as will smaller moments like crew member Ron McNair playing his saxophone in space."

Higginbotham humanizes historical catastrophes

Higginbotham is singular, for this moment in time at any rate, at conjuring something that I find is often lost in the review of historical events. Especially those events for which the post script has already been etched into the epitaph of the past. With the utterly masterful performance by Jacques Roy, the combination of the Higginbotham's words coming from Roy's mouth is something special. At my age, this all happened a couple of years before my own birth, so to feel connected to people - most of whom have either passed on or erased themselves from the public eye - who lived and died before me is unique. Higginbotham and Roy had me laughing at times, and moved to tears by the end. A simple statement of fact, like that Sally Ride was on both space shuttle panels, made my chest tighten after the hours I spent coming to 'know' these people.

The editorial condemnation of those responsible for what happened never came, but Higginbotham laid out the pieces and let us decide how to contextualize the decisions of years or even decades that led to the conclusion. Some were heroes, others were cowards. Higginbotham gives all the context you could ask for to decide who is who.

I cannot recommend this work enough, and it's a fitting memorial to the seven who died, as well as a testimonial to the grit of those who explore the ragged edge of science and possibility. As I look to the sky in the future, it will be hard not to occasionally think of them.

Feels like you're right there living it, exceptionally told

An exceedingly well put together narrative, this is a great story to tell, and the lessons learned are still entirely relevant today. Technical details are presented clearly, in an understandable way. Great listen.

Tragic and yet Terrific

A great read! Well put together. So many stories woven together. Audio reading was superb. It can get technical at times, but it never loses the story in the details.

Apollo 1 till Challenger

The book starts with the disaster of Apollo 1 and definitely provides a decent history of why USA didnt go back to space after the success of Apollo 11. But, the book does spend a lot of time outside of the key events that led to the Challenger disaster. The dots do somewhat connect looking back.

Skillfully Woven Story, Factual Account of Heroism and Tragedy

Thorough, detailed, well researched. The presentation builds on itself, stick with it, all the facts and biographies along the way are where the impact of the tragedy really lies.