What was the fatal flaw that caused the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster?

Question

What was the fatal flaw that caused the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster?

In: 695

Answer 1

To expand on u/hvgotcodes explanation, the o-rings sealed a joint between two sections of one of the two solid rocket boosters. They were made of rubber and because of the cold temperatures the morning of the launch, the o-rings became less compressible so the joint was not sealed which allowed hot gas to escape which shortly after, ignited the contents of the big orange tank full of fuel (liquid hydrogen and oxygen).