Shuttle Orbiter Challenger (NASA Designation: OV-99) was a Space Shuttle orbiter. Challenger was the second shuttle orbiter to be placed into service (after Columbia) and was constructed using a body frame (STA-099) that had initially been produced for use as a test article. Its maiden voyage was on April 4, 1983, and made eight subsequent round trips to low earth orbit before it was destroyed during launch for its tenth mission, mission 51-L.
The explosion which destroyer it was investigated by a presidential commission (the "Rogers Commission"), which was composed of William P. Rogers (chairman), Neil Armstrong (vice chairman), David C. Acheson, Eugene E. Covert, Richard Feynman, Robert B. Hotz, Major General Donald J. Kutyna, Sally Ride, Robert W. Rummel, Joseph F. Sutter, Arthur B. C. Walker, Jr, Albert D. Wheelon, Brigadier General]] Chuck Yeager, and Alton G. Keel, Jr (executive director).
Space Shuttle Challenger flew 10 flights, spent 62.41-days in space, completed 995 orbits, and flew 25,803,940 miles in total, including its final mission.