Astronaut Autopsies Will Be Difficult - The Washington Post But last week the investigation into the explosion of the Challenger was only beginning. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The memorial services were over and flags were raised again to the top of the staff. The right rocket is the chief suspect as the cause of the accident. To her left was engineer Ellison S. Onizuka. An estimated 17 percent of Americans or more than 40 million people had watched the tragedy unfold on their TV screens. The Challenger's payload, for example, was the heaviest ever carried by a shuttle. The Worst Part Of The Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster Isn't - Grunge An investigation into the explosion found that it had been caused by a problem with the shuttle's O-rings, the rubber seals that lined parts of the rocket boosters. Preserver located wreckage of the crew compartment of Challenger on the ocean bed at a depth of 87 feet of water, 17 miles n. Also on board were three mission specialists, Dr. Judith A. Resnick, Dr. Ronald E. McNair and Lieut. Getty Images / Bettmann / Contributor. NASA said it would respect family wishes and remain silent until the recovery and identification processes are completed. Challenger disaster - Encyclopedia Britannica | Britannica That fall, while attending a Washington, DC, teachers conference, McAuliffe stumbled upon a booth promoting the Teacher in Space program. The unexpected ignition of the rocket fuel instead gave it 2 million pounds of sudden thrust, sending it blasting into the sky and crushing the passengers inside with twenty Gs of force multiple times the three Gs their training had accustomed the astronauts to. By John Noble Wilford. But the bulk of the wreckage splashed into the Atlantic, sinking to the bottom or drifting north with the Gulf Stream. Any possibility that they leaked somewhere online? The tank quickly ruptured, igniting the hydrogen fuel and causing a massive, Hindenburg-like explosion. Col. Ellison S. Onizuka of the Air Force, and a payload specialist, Gregory B. Jarvis. He's now buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Images in this section are graphic, so viewer discretion is strongly advised. Ted Bundy autopsy photo. Known as 'Hangar L,' the facility is equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and is designed primarily to prepare animal and plant specimans for space flights.