User:Barcas91/sandbox

Barcas91/sandbox
Genre	Documentary series
Developed by	Glen Zipper Steven Leckart
Directed by	Daniel Junge Steven Leckart
Music by	Jeff Beal
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of episodes	4 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Ben Stephenson Rachel Rusch Rich Glen Zipper Sean Stuart J. J. Abrams
Producers	Maren Domzalski Bridget Topp Steven Leckart Daniel Junge
Cinematography	Graham Willoughby
Editors	Poppy Das Adrienne Gits
Camera setup	HDTV 1080p
Running time	41–53 minutes
Production companies	Bad Robot Zipper Bros Films Sutter Road Picture Company
Original release
Network	Netflix
Release	September 16, 2020 (2020-09-16)

Challenger: The Final Flight (also known as Challenger) is a 2020 American historical documentary series produced by J. J. Abrams' Bad Robot. Developed by Glen Zipper and Steven Leckart for Netflix, the series focuses on the 1986 Challenger Space Shuttle explosion, covering the events leading up to the launch and the aftermath of the disaster.

The limited series includes interviews with key individuals, details of Christa McAuliffe's preparation for the flight, explorations of the issues with the solid rocket boosters, and a glimpse into the teleconference between NASA and Morton Thiokol. It also includes accounts from the astronauts' families and the investigation into the catastrophe, all while delving into the Space Shuttle program through archive footage.

The series was released on Netflix on September 16, 2020.

Synopsis

On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, resulting in the tragic deaths of all seven crew members, including school teacher Christa McAuliffe. This event deeply affected the United States and led to the suspension of the Space Shuttle program for nearly three years.

Episodes

No.	Title	Original release date
1	"Space for Everyone"	September 16, 2020 (2020-09-16)
In the late 1960s, NASA realized that while focusing intensely on reaching the Moon, they had not adequately considered what to do next. A team was formed to find more cost-effective ways to travel to and from space. Building an expensive vehicle like the Apollo and using it for only one flight was not economically viable, so the focus turned to creating something reusable. President Richard Nixon authorized the development of the five-and-a-half billion-dollar space shuttle, which, according to the president, would transform the space frontier of the 1970s into familiar territory. The missions would become routine, with every day scientists rather than highly trained astronauts, and would be comparatively inexpensive. Development was expected to take six years, and the first shuttle should be in operation by the decade's end. In the early days, it was noticeable that all astronauts were white Anglo-Saxon males. However, NASA decided to change this, and in the 1970s, it made efforts to diversify its astronaut corps. In February 1972, NASA announced the selection of 35 new astronauts, including three Black individuals, one Asian individual, and six women. This was the largest and most diverse group in the history of the American space program, consisting of 29 men and 6 women. The 35 candidates began two years of integrated training at the Johnson Space Center in July 1978. Those who successfully completed the program would become astronauts. By 1980, the 1978 class had finished their training and were all awaiting their first flights. The shuttle was the result of nine years of compromise, negotiation, and cost overruns. It is the most complex space vehicle that humans have ever built. In April 1981, thousands gathered to witness the historic event of the first American spaceflight in six years. The space shuttle provided the country with something to feel good about in the wake of the Vietnam War. It brought national pride, with NASA capitalizing on this by making sales in merchandise. Challenger embarked on her maiden voyage in April 1983, with Sally Ride becoming the first American woman to fly in space on STS-7, and Guion Bluford becoming the first African American to do so on STS-8. NASA's public affairs office carefully selects and shapes stories to inform the public. Managers aim to reassure the public about the safety of the shuttle, likening it to a commercial aircraft, despite being aware of the significant risks involved. The first flight of Discovery on STS-41-D was aborted at T-6 seconds. Prior to the Bluford mission, Challenger was struck by lightning, but NASA proceeded with the launch. The successes of the Apollo program may have led to overconfidence at NASA. While some problems were isolated incidents, there was an ongoing issue with the solid rocket boosters that had persisted for years.
2	"HELP!"	September 16, 2020 (2020-09-16)
3	"A Major Malfunction"	September 16, 2020 (2020-09-16)
4	"Nothing Ends Here"	September 16, 2020 (2020-09-16)

Release

The official trailer was released on September 2, 2020.

Reception

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the miniseries has an approval rating of 84% based on 19 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Challenger: The Final Flight doesn't uncover any new information, but intimate interviews elevate its well-crafted, heartbreaking retelling of an avoidable national tragedy." Metacritic, which utilises a weighted average, gave the series a score of 76 out of 100, indicating "generally favourable reviews."

See also

• Columbia: The Tragic Loss

External links

• Barcas91/sandbox on Netflix
• Barcas91/sandbox at IMDb