Includes bibliographical references and index.

"The untold story of a national trauma -- NASA's Challenger explosion -- and what really happened to America's Teacher in Space, illuminating the tragic cost of humanity setting its sight on the stars"--,Provided by publisher.

January 28, 1986. NASA's space shuttle Challenger exploded after blasting off from Cape Canaveral. Christa McAuliffe, America's "Teacher in Space" was instantly killed, along with the other six members of the mission. At least that's what most of us remember. Cook tells us what really happened on that ill-fated, unforgettable day. He traces the pressures that triggered the fatal order to launch on an ice-cold Florida morning. He takes readers inside the shuttle for the agonizing minutes after the explosion, which the astronauts did indeed survive. Centering on McAuliffe, Cook reveals the human price the Challenger crew and America paid for politics, and the national dream of "reaching for the stars." -- Adapted from jacket.