In a conference room in Utah, space shuttle Challenger engineers watch in horror as it explodes live on TV.

These engineers are more than 3,000 kilometres from the launch site - but they're about to become the centre of this story.

Because they had tried to stop the launch from happening in the first place.

To hear more podcast episodes from hosts Fiona Pepper and Dr Karl Kruszelnicki about the legacy the 1986 space shuttle Challenger disaster left on culture, space exploration and high-risk decision making, search ‘Science Friction: The Challenger Legacy podcast’ from Radio National (RN) on the ABC Listen App (Australia), or wherever you get your podcasts.

Guests:

Leslie EbelingDaughter, Bob Ebeling

Brian RussellFormer engineer, Morton Thiokol

Adam HigginbothamAuthor, Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space

Howard BerkesFormer investigative reporter, NPR

Credits:

• Presenters: Fiona Pepper and Karl Kruszelnicki
• Reporter: Fiona Pepper
• Senior Producer: James Bullen
• Series Producer: Jonathan Webb
• Executive Producer: Petria Ladgrove
• Sound Engineer: Tim Jenkins
• Archives Research: Lisa Chidlow, Michael Osmond
• Archive Credits: The Footage Company/Nine Network Australia, National Public Radio (NPR).

This story was made on the lands of the Gadigal and Menang Noongar peoples.