On January 28th of 1986, the world watched in horror as the Challenger shuttle failed to launch as intended, exploding in a matter of just 73 seconds, and killing all seven crew members in the process. It’s a tragedy which has since been immortalised for numerous reasons – and a tragedy Netflix will seek to investigate in the Challenger: The Final Flight four-part documentary series.
Challenger: The Final Flight will examine the safety issues raised by NASA engineers prior to the launch, the emotional aspect of what this voyage signified for many – i.e. first African-American astronaut, first Asian-American astronaut, first woman astronaut, civilian passenger/school teacher Christa McAuliffe – as well as the impact Challenger’s ensuing tragedy caused.
“NASA was always the good guys with the right stuff – you realise, they’re really rolling the dice.”
Challenger: The Final Flight has been brought to screens by Steven Leckart (Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates, Hunting ISIS) and Glen Zipper (Dogs, The Panama Papers), with JJ Abrams serving as an executive producer. Offering never-before-seen interviews, rare archival footage of the training process, leading all the way up to the fateful moments, and an “unfiltered” behind-the-scenes look at history, despite the morbid subject matter, this is one to keep an eye out for.
You can stream it via Netflix on September 16th.