As the world awaited what should have been a routine lift-off for the space shuttle Challenger unattended complications with equipment turned the mission in to a ticking time-bomb. Adding to the excitement of the mission was the presence of Christa McAuliffe (played by Karen Allen) a small town school teacher chosen from hundreds of candidates to teach the first lesson in space. This compelling account offers a poignant look into the lives of each of the seven Challenger crew members during the months leading up to the launch. Not only devoted to astronauts these heroic seven were also devoted mothers fathers husbands and wives. But during these moments we witness bewildered corporate inability to resolve an issue before it becomes a catastrophe of the highest order. Excitement frustration and grief unfold as the true story of the space shuttle disaster is revealed.