Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

In Challenger, Higginbotham seeks to provide portraits of the shuttle crew and some of the NASA and Thiokol personnel who were closely involved in the shuttle’s mission. In tracing how these individuals conceived of their mission and sought to push the boundaries of space exploration, Higginbotham examines the risks and rewards of ambition. 

NASA was filled with individuals who were motivated to push their own personal abilities to their limits to achieve things that humans had not done before. The astronauts, engineers, and technicians were all highly ambitious and undeterred by obstacles. The space shuttle program, in particular, with its experiments using reusable craft, presented numerous new problems. The narrative highlights the ways in which individuals such as Max Faget, who designed the reusable shuttle, often demonstrated considerable ambition and ingenuity in trying to advance NASA's goals. 

Higginbotham also seeks to individualize the astronauts involved in the Challenger mission, celebrating their bravery and commitment to their space adventure. He carefully profiles the crew’s lives before their mission, detailing how each crew member excelled at numerous hobbies, ranging from music to athletics. He acknowledges how important the ambitions of men like Ron McNair were, as McNair’s NASA career represented not just a personal achievement but a significant step forward for African Americans aspiring to STEM careers.