The Burning Blue: The Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and NASA's Challenger Disaster
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- Create Date：2021-06-08 17:31:03
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Kevin Cook
- ISBN：B08L1QDF2D
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Summary
The untold story of a national trauma—NASA’s Challenger explosion—and what really happened to America’s Teacher in Space， illuminating the tragic cost of humanity setting its sight on the stars
You’ve seen the pictures。 You know what happened。 Or do you？
On January 28， 1986， NASA’s space shuttle Challenger exploded after blasting off from Cape Canaveral。 Christa McAuliffe， America’s “Teacher in Space，” was instantly killed， along with the other six members of the mission。 At least that's what most of us remember。
Kevin Cook tells us what really happened on that ill-fated， unforgettable day。 He traces the pressures—leading from NASA to the White House—that triggered the fatal order to launch on an ice-cold Florida morning。 Cook takes readers inside the shuttle for the agonizing minutes after the explosion， which the astronauts did indeed survive。 He uncovers the errors and corner-cutting that led an overconfident space agency to launch a crew that had no chance to escape。
But this is more than a corrective to a now-dimming memory。 Centering on McAuliffe， a charmingly down-to-earth civilian on the cusp of history， The Burning Blue animates a colorful cast of characters: a pair of red-hot flyers at the shuttle's controls， the second female and first Jewish astronaut， the second Black astronaut， and the first Asian American and Buddhist in space。 Drawing vivid portraits of Christa and the astronauts， Cook makes readers forget the fate they're hurtling toward。 With drama， immediacy， and shocking surprises， he reveals the human price the Challenger crew and America paid for politics， capital-P Progress， and the national dream of "reaching for the stars。"
You’ve seen the pictures。 You know what happened。 Or do you？
On January 28， 1986， NASA’s space shuttle Challenger exploded after blasting off from Cape Canaveral。 Christa McAuliffe， America’s “Teacher in Space，” was instantly killed， along with the other six members of the mission。 At least that's what most of us remember。
Kevin Cook tells us what really happened on that ill-fated， unforgettable day。 He traces the pressures—leading from NASA to the White House—that triggered the fatal order to launch on an ice-cold Florida morning。 Cook takes readers inside the shuttle for the agonizing minutes after the explosion， which the astronauts did indeed survive。 He uncovers the errors and corner-cutting that led an overconfident space agency to launch a crew that had no chance to escape。
But this is more than a corrective to a now-dimming memory。 Centering on McAuliffe， a charmingly down-to-earth civilian on the cusp of history， The Burning Blue animates a colorful cast of characters: a pair of red-hot flyers at the shuttle's controls， the second female and first Jewish astronaut， the second Black astronaut， and the first Asian American and Buddhist in space。 Drawing vivid portraits of Christa and the astronauts， Cook makes readers forget the fate they're hurtling toward。 With drama， immediacy， and shocking surprises， he reveals the human price the Challenger crew and America paid for politics， capital-P Progress， and the national dream of "reaching for the stars。"
Reviews
Carin
，
I was in 7th grade when the Challenger exploded。 Until September 11， that seemed like it was going to be Generation X's seminal moment， our JFK assassination。 I remember my shock in high school of seeing a photo of it in my brand-new American History textbook， just 4 years after it happened。 I also remember getting in numerous arguments with high school friends whenever it came up and they insisted I did not see it at school because it was a teacher-in-service day as they repeatedly forgot I wen I was in 7th grade when the Challenger exploded。 Until September 11， that seemed like it was going to be Generation X's seminal moment， our JFK assassination。 I remember my shock in high school of seeing a photo of it in my brand-new American History textbook， just 4 years after it happened。 I also remember getting in numerous arguments with high school friends whenever it came up and they insisted I did not see it at school because it was a teacher-in-service day as they repeatedly forgot I went to a different school system （Catholic） for middle school。 I remember our principal， Mr。 Springman， RUNNING down the hall with a TV on a cart for our classroom （and I presume also the 8th graders。） I also remember with a shudder the jokes that started circulating just a day or two later， which in 7th grade we reveled in， and I think back on in chagrin （our poor teachers must have thought we were complete ghouls。 Mr。 Cook does address these in the book and they're presented actually as a coping method。 I had heard both the jokes he references。） I was worried this book would be depressing but it mostly wasn't。 Half the book focused on Christa， her background， how she got to the point of applying， and how she was selected。 And then on the training， and the other astronauts。 I was so glad to learn about them。 Especially Judy Resnick， who was awesome。 I didn't previously realize the giant difference between an astronaut and a payload specialist and I won't misuse those terms again。 I also was sadly so impressed with the diversity on this particular flight--out of seven astronauts， we had two women， one of whom was Jewish， an African-American， an Asian-American who was Buddhist， and only three white guys。 Not only was that progressive as heck for 1986， that is probably pretty good for today。 They don't get short shrift in this book--all of them are fully developed along with their backgrounds and families。 Yes， they are constantly overshadowed by the Teacher in Space--in death as well as in life--but here they are given their due。 And then there is the explosion itself。 Mr。 Cook does an excellent job of describing the trajectory of the crew cabin so that those of us who saw the explosion hundreds of times that day and have it seared in our brains， can perfectly picture it。 And he has new， compelling information from that crew cabin， which was recovered more than a month later， that the astronauts survived for a minute or two after the explosion。 Three oxygen tanks were turned on。 Multiple switches for things like flipping the aircrafts from auto to manual control， had their protective caps popped off， and were turned--which just can't happen in a crash。 These aren't switches that can just be toggled if something heavy lands on them。 They must be manipulated manually。 Not to mention they weren't random switches--they were the ones you'd go for if you were a trained pilot in an emergency situation trying to regain control。 I also found the aftermath fascinating。 Thank god Richard Feynman was on the investigative panel。 Not only was he the one who figured out it was the temperature of the O-rings that was the culprit， but he wouldn't be bullied or cowed into sweeping this under the rug。 Like one of my favorite TV shows， Air Disasters， they wanted to prevent this from happening again。Finally， the book ends with the years and decades after， with the families' fallout from these events， and the politics。 And last， it ends with the explosion on reentry of the shuttle Columbia， ending the shuttle era。 It's sad to me that this important and tragic event in the 1980s will forever be overshadowed by events afterward。 It's the 35th anniversary of the Challenger explosion this year， and also the 20th anniversary of September 11。 But it's important to remember this event as well， the lives lost， and the lessons learned （and not learned！） 。。。more
Julie Pint
，
A fast easy read especially considering the technical aspects involved in the examination of this historical event。 I remember sitting in a large room with my classmates watching the Challenger launch and being stunned by the events of the day。 The book covers that piece very well， but it is a minor part the the story。 We learn about all that lead up to this launch and we learn about the astronauts。 It truly is a moving story， and I learned much about that fateful day。 A 4。5 stars on the advance A fast easy read especially considering the technical aspects involved in the examination of this historical event。 I remember sitting in a large room with my classmates watching the Challenger launch and being stunned by the events of the day。 The book covers that piece very well， but it is a minor part the the story。 We learn about all that lead up to this launch and we learn about the astronauts。 It truly is a moving story， and I learned much about that fateful day。 A 4。5 stars on the advanced read courtesy of Goodreads and Henry Holt publishing。 。。。more
Nancy
，
This book was very interesting！ It was well written & was a nice blend of the human-interest aspect of the events & the factual aspect of the events （& the subsequent investigation）。
Terri Wangard
，
I remember the day of Challenger’s last flight。 I was driving to work， listening to the countdown on the radio。 I arrived at the library shortly before the launch， so I didn’t hear the liftoff。 Later， when I went to the front desk， a clerk asked if I’d heard about Challenger， and that teacher。Since I’ve read most books on the space shuttles， I didn’t learn much new stuff from Burning Blue， the Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and NASA’s Challenger Disaster。 The effort of Steve McAuliffe， Christ I remember the day of Challenger’s last flight。 I was driving to work， listening to the countdown on the radio。 I arrived at the library shortly before the launch， so I didn’t hear the liftoff。 Later， when I went to the front desk， a clerk asked if I’d heard about Challenger， and that teacher。Since I’ve read most books on the space shuttles， I didn’t learn much new stuff from Burning Blue， the Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and NASA’s Challenger Disaster。 The effort of Steve McAuliffe， Christa’s widower， to prevent Judy Resnik’s family from receiving an equal award in the lawsuits because they weren’t spouses or children， was a surprise。 From the subtitle， you know there’s an emphasis on Christa and the Teacher in Space program。 There is also emphasis on the importance of teachers and their lack of appreciation。 The brief bios on the other six astronauts are appreciated， but it’s almost like they were just along for the ride。 Challenger was lost thirty-five years ago。 This book offers a good look at the disaster for those unfamiliar with it。 I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Evan
，
I received an advance reading copy of this book， for free， through Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for my honest review。Having been born after the Kennedy Assassination， the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster was the first moment in my life in which I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news。 I had just taken my seat in my eighth-grade history class， when my usually emotionless teacher entered the room with tears in her eyes。 She explained to the class what had happened， and I I received an advance reading copy of this book， for free， through Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for my honest review。Having been born after the Kennedy Assassination， the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster was the first moment in my life in which I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news。 I had just taken my seat in my eighth-grade history class， when my usually emotionless teacher entered the room with tears in her eyes。 She explained to the class what had happened， and I can recall the sense of shock and disbelief felt by all。In The Burning Blue: The Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and NASA’s Challenger Disaster by Kevin Cook， the story of the Challenger Disaster is told in comprehensive， and at times gut-wrenching， detail。 The focus of the narrative is Christa McAuliffe， who beat out over 10，000 other teachers to be named NASA’s first-ever Teacher in Space。 Readers are introduced to McAuliffe’s family， and follow her through her teaching career， her NASA training， and her experiences dealing with her sudden celebrity。 Along the way， we meet the other six crew members of the Challenger mission and follow their journey right up to， and beyond， that fateful moment 73 seconds after liftoff。The big reveal of the book， as hyped on the blurb on the back， is that the astronauts survived the explosion of the shuttle， only to perish when the plummeting crew cabin collided with the Atlantic Ocean。 This was not really news to me， as I remember hearing this 15 years ago， but the reenactment of their descent and the disturbing facts about the recovery of the crew’s bodies were revelations。The Burning Blue then shifted focus to the disaster aftermath。 The fighting and politics regarding the placement of blame， the resurrection of the shuttle program， and the “what happened to” stories of the families of the seven shuttle astronauts are all examined。 Overall， the author provided the reader with a exhaustive look at the events leading up to， and the 35 years that have passed since， January 28， 1986。My only complaint about the book is the pervasiveness of politics of it。 I expected some politics to be involved in the hearings and investigations following the disaster， but I did not expect to learn about Christa McAuliffe’s political leanings， her husband’s politics， the politics of the other crew members， etc。 It all seemed unnecessary。 One cannot turn on the television， watch a movie， or open a book today without being bombarded by political agendas。 Literally， in the last five pages of the book the author cites an unnamed source （a Dunkin’ Donuts Deep Throat） who states （without proof） that President Reagan threated NASA officials with ‘If you don’t get that bird up in the air， we’ll cut your funding’。” In what had otherwise been a well-researched and factual account of events， this left a bad taste in my mouth by stooping to hearsay and innuendo。 Overall， The Burning Blue is an interesting read。 I just could have done without the political slant。 。。。more
QOH
，
This was my first "Where were you when？" historical event， and as a result I remember a particular stairwell in a Massachusetts junior high school （which would otherwise not be remembered at all）。 About ten years later I watched another shuttle launch， in person， and I held my breath a lot longer than I thought was possible。 I'd read quite a bit about the O rings in the past， and although I didn't need it to be rehashed， it would have been a more interesting book if it had more of the NASA/gover This was my first "Where were you when？" historical event， and as a result I remember a particular stairwell in a Massachusetts junior high school （which would otherwise not be remembered at all）。 About ten years later I watched another shuttle launch， in person， and I held my breath a lot longer than I thought was possible。 I'd read quite a bit about the O rings in the past， and although I didn't need it to be rehashed， it would have been a more interesting book if it had more of the NASA/government contractor culture and less repetition about whether the teacher-in-space program was a good idea and if Christa McAuliffe was a good fit。 Although the book flowed well， I had a sense we were missing a lot。 。。。more
Susan Kennedy
，
I really enjoyed this book。 I think some of that has to be because I was almost 13 years old when it happened and I remember it。 Reading the book and reliving that as an adult definitely allows me to look at if differently。 I think of things very differently from my almost 13 year old self， like the children of those that died watching。 That is just heartbreaking to me。 I think this book is well written， easy to read and full of things that I didn't know。 It was interesting going back and review I really enjoyed this book。 I think some of that has to be because I was almost 13 years old when it happened and I remember it。 Reading the book and reliving that as an adult definitely allows me to look at if differently。 I think of things very differently from my almost 13 year old self， like the children of those that died watching。 That is just heartbreaking to me。 I think this book is well written， easy to read and full of things that I didn't know。 It was interesting going back and reviewing this piece of history。 It was nice to learn about each of those crew members and a bit of their personalities。 I thoroughly enjoyed it。This is definitely one I would recommend。 I didn't want to put it down。 Not only do you get to know the crew， but you get a little peak into the families after the tragedy。 I think Kevin Cook did a great job putting this together。 。。。more
Jennifer Schultz
，
Read if you: Want an insightful and heartbreaking look at the last Challenger crew， with an emphasis on Christa McAuliffe。 I rarely wish a book was longer--but I could have easily welcomed 100+ more pages！ I was in second grade when Challenger exploded （did not watch live）， so while I remember the sadness of that day， there's not much I actually knew or remembered。 Cook creates a warm， winning， and admirable portrayal of McAuliffe that feels totally genuine and honest。 Librarians/booksellers: Wi Read if you: Want an insightful and heartbreaking look at the last Challenger crew， with an emphasis on Christa McAuliffe。 I rarely wish a book was longer--but I could have easily welcomed 100+ more pages！ I was in second grade when Challenger exploded （did not watch live）， so while I remember the sadness of that day， there's not much I actually knew or remembered。 Cook creates a warm， winning， and admirable portrayal of McAuliffe that feels totally genuine and honest。 Librarians/booksellers: With the recent documentary on Challenger （2020）， this will likely have interest， due to the lack of recent books about the disaster。 Many thanks to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Nicole
，