Four of Challenger’s seven crew members have a voice in their mission’s first and final five minutes: Commander Francis R. Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Mission Specialist Ellison S. Onizuka, and Mission Specialist Judith A. Resnik. In order, the mission’s transcript labels these four individuals by their job: CDR, PLT, MS 1, and MS 2. The Challenger crew was unique because it included Christa McAuliffe, a teacher, and the first civilian in space selected for the mission out of 11,000 applicants.
The transcript starts a bit over three minutes before liftoff and mostly consists of small phrases and confirmations that crew members make between each other. NASA also chimes in with little statements and reminders here and there like, “Liquid oxygen supply arm to ET” at 1 minute, 47 seconds before launch, and, “Seat restraints” at 1 minute, 33 seconds before launch.
Crew members display joking and high spirits even while remaining professional and conducting life-or-death business. When NASA asks about the shuttle oxygen vent cap, for instance, Onizuka jokes, “Doesn’t it go the other way?” and the whole crew laughs. When NASA tells the shuttle to start rolling 11 seconds into launch, Smith says (in true movie hero fashion), “Go you Mother.” The helium in the right engine is lower than ideal but otherwise, everything else seems fine. At 1 minute, 10 seconds, Scobee tells Smith to throttle up. Three seconds later Smith mutters, “Uh-oh,” and communications cut out that very second.
[Featured image by Kennedy Space Center via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled]
