Challenger and Chernobyl, Cold War Catastrophes
Challenger and Chernobyl, Cold War Catastrophes In 1986, the world’s superpowers were each rocked by disasters occurring just three months apart. Technological prowess had driven the Cold War: what did it mean for it to fail in such catastrophic circumstances? The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes shortly after takeoff, 28 January 1986. The Space Shuttle Challenger suffered a catastrophic explosion 73 seconds into its ascent into orbit on 28 January 1986. Almost exactly three months later, on 26 April an explosion in Reactor IV of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant led to the grea...