How Many Times Has the Space Shuttle Exploded?

The space shuttle has experienced two major accidents resulting in explosions:

1. Challenger Disaster (1986): The Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of all seven crew members. The disaster was caused by the failure of an O-ring seal in the right solid rocket booster.
2. Columbia Disaster (2003): The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members. The accident was caused by damage to the shuttle’s thermal protection system, which occurred during launch when a piece of foam insulation broke off and struck the left wing.

These two tragic events highlight the risks associated with space exploration and have led to significant changes in NASA’s safety protocols and shuttle design.