Challenger (1990 film)

Challenger is a 1990 American made-for-television docudrama film that aired on ABC. The film depicts the events leading up to and immediately following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986, in which the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, killing all seven astronauts on board.

The film stars Karen Allen, Barry Bostwick, Richard Dysart, and Brian Dennehy. It focuses primarily on the investigation into the disaster, specifically the role of engineer Roger Boisjoly, played by Dennehy, who warned Morton Thiokol management and NASA about the potential dangers of launching the shuttle in cold weather due to the O-rings’ reduced sealing capacity.

The film attempts to portray the various pressures – managerial, political, and economic – that contributed to the decision to launch the Challenger despite Boisjoly's warnings. It reconstructs key meetings, interviews, and testimonies related to the Rogers Commission, which investigated the accident.

The film was nominated for several Emmy Awards. It faced some criticism for its dramatic license and portrayal of certain individuals and events, but is generally considered a notable dramatization of the Challenger tragedy.