The Challenger explosion is one of the defining moments of the late 20th
century. But where did NASA go wrong? In Contest for the Heavens (Harvill,
£18, ISBN 1 86046 216 2), Claus Jensen traces the history of the American
space programme and the follies that led to disaster.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
The world's fastest spider tops 3.5 metres per second
2
Babies are born with the neural foundations for maths
3
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
4
This physicist is hunting for the biggest black hole in the universe
5
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
6
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
7
I’m the first person whose life was saved by CRISPR base editing
8
Remote-controlled cockroach swarm can now breathe underwater
9
Can we harness quantum effects to create a new kind of healthcare?
10
Childbirth for many primate species is even harder than for humans



