Report of the PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident

In the photo at right, the left booster (far right) soars away, still thrusting. The reddish-brown cloud envelops the disintegrating Orbiter. The color is characteristic of the nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer in the Orbiter Reaction Control System propellant.

In the photo at right, the left booster (far right) soars away, still thrusting. The reddish-brown cloud envelops the disintegrating Orbiter. The color is characteristic of the nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer in the Orbiter Reaction Control System propellant.

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