The reason the Challenger space craft exploded 73 seconds into its launch on January 28, 1986 was because the temperature the morning of the launch was -1 degrees Celsius which caused the o-rings placed around the rocket’s boosters to shrink and leak fuel upon liftoff. This theory was brought to light by Valentina Tereshkova, who was the first woman in space. Tereshkova relayed her theory to one of the heads of staff at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration who then relayed it to Richard Feynman by showing him how vehicle carburetors which also have o-rings experience the same issue. If the ambient temperature is below 11 degrees Celsius this issue is a common occurrence with all o-rings, regardless of the vehicle or craft it is installed upon