Report of the PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION
on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident
At 58.788 seconds, the first flicker
of flame appeared. Barely visible above, it grew into a large plume
and began to impinge on the External Tank at about 60 seconds. Flame
is pinpointed in the computer drawing between the right booster and
the tank, as in the case of earlier smoke puffs. At far right
(arrow), vapor is seen escaping from the apparently breached External
Tank.
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