Eerie final statement from Challenger astronaut before rocket exploded 73 seconds after take-off

 Some moments in history leave such an indelible mark on the world they’re remembered by generations to come — and the devastating launch of NASA’s Challenger space shuttle was one such moment. On the unusually cold morning of January 28, 1986, millions around the world tuned in as they waited in front of the television to watch Space Shuttle Challenger prepare for lift-off.

The fateful day saw a seven-member crew board the shuttle at Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. Millions of Americans looked on with pride as the space shuttle began to propel upwards, everyone waiting with bated breath for history to be made.

Space Shuttle Challenger was carrying seven members — Commander Francis R Scobee, Pilot Michael J Smith, Mission Specialists Dr RE McNair, Lieutenant Colonel Ellison S Onizuka and Dr Judith A Resnik, Civilian Payload Specialist and Aircraft Engineer Gregory B Jarvis, alongside fellow Civilian Payload Specialist and teacher Sharon Christa McAuliffe.

McAuliffe was a social studies teacher who taught at Concord High School in New Hampshire, USA, and had been elected to board the Challenger as part of NASA’s ‘Teachers in Space’ program which would see a teacher take live lessons from space for the first time in history in a bid to encourage space exploration.

Everything was going according to plan at first — the Challenger space shuttle shot upwards into the sky as Commander Francis Scobee calmly relayed his instructions from mission control: “Go throttle up.”

Three seconds later, we heard the crew’s final words. At the start, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and the official transcript of the Challenger operational recorder voice tape proves just that. Everything was fine, until it wasn’t.

The seven crew members onboard NASA’s Challenger Space Shuttle had all of 73 seconds before everything went to pieces — literally.

Just 73 seconds into Challenger’s space mission, the shuttle was engulfed in fire and tore apart in the sky, devastatingly killing all seven astronauts on board. The world watched on in horror as a trail of smoke filled up their television screens.

The harrowing transcript of the crew’s final moments sheds some light on the devastating tragedy the world saw unfold in real-time.

Chilling last words of Challenger crew

At the start of the space flight, the seven crew members were in high spirits. Jokes, laughter, enthusiasm and banter was recorded in the transcript of the mission, and terror was nowhere in sight.

One minute four seconds before liftoff, Mission Specialist Onizuka pointed out, “Dick’s thinking of somebody there,” to which Commander Dick Scoobee replied, “Unhuh.” At liftoff, the crew was heard saying, “Aaall riiight”, and “here we go”.

Six seconds after liftoff, Commander Scobee lightheartedly said, “There they go, guys,” which was met with an “all right” from mission specialist Resnick.

11 seconds into their journey, Pilot Smith said, “Go you mother!” and four seconds later Mission Specialist Resnik exclaimed, “sh-t hot”. A few seconds later Pilot Smith noted, “Looks like we’ve got a lotta wind here today.”

One minute into the space flight, Pilot Smith cheekily said, “Feel that mother go,” followed by a jubilant, “Woooohoooo.” At 70 seconds, Commander Scoobee was heard saying, “Roger, go at throttle up.” Till now, everything seemed normal. The next three seconds would change the course of history.

At exactly 73 seconds into NASA’s Challenger space mission, Pilot Smith uttered two chilling words that meant he realised something was very, very wrong: “Uh-oh.”

There was radio silence after that, as the space shuttle suffered a loss of all data, followed by a fiery explosion that would plunge an entire nation into collective grief.