What precise duration elapsed until the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart after lifting off during mission STS-51L?
Answer
73 seconds
The catastrophic disintegration of the Space Shuttle Challenger occurred exactly 73 seconds after its launch from Cape Canaveral. This point marked the abrupt end of the primary thrust phase, just after the vehicle passed maximum aerodynamic pressure (Max-Q) and received the command for throttle up. The structural failure mechanism, initiated by the compromised right-hand solid rocket booster (SRB), led to the erosion of a strut tethering the booster to the external fuel tank, causing the subsequent collapse and explosion of the entire stack.
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