Challenger crew likely survived explosion before tragic plunge to Earth, book claims

Details about one of the US space program's darkest moments are revealed in "The Burning Blue: The Untold Story of Christa McAuliffe and NASA’s Challenger."

"Uh oh," he said.  "A chubby Girl Scout with no knack for science or math who got sick to her stomach on carnival rides."  "Yet another costly, red-faces-all-around space shuttle delay." Down on the ground at Mission Control, a computer screen indicated falling pressure in the right booster rocket. It was leaking fuel.  As was later learned, the cold of the Florida morning had stiffened the rubber O-rings that held the booster sections together, containing the explosive fuel inside. The rings failed to expand fully in the cold, leaving a gap of less than a millimeter between booster sections.