One of the defining moments in American history was on Jan. 28, 1986, when the space shuttle Challenger, carrying seven astronauts, including the first schoolteacher picked to fly to space, Christa McAuliffe, exploded soon after launching from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

That tragedy, and the response to it, will be the topic of a presentation by Adam Higginbotham, author of “Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space.” The talk, free and open to the public, will begin at noon on Monday, April 20, on Zoom.

Copies of the book, originally published in 2024 and recently released in paperback, will be available for virtual attendees while supplies last. The program is being presented by the Cal State San Bernardino Department of History and the John M. Pfau Library.

Higginbotham talk event flyer.

From the publisher’s website: “Based on extensive archival research and metic­ulous, original reporting, ‘Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space’ follows a handful of central protagonists – including each of the seven members of the doomed crew – through the years leading up to the accident, and offers a detailed account of the tragedy itself and the investigation afterward. It’s a compelling tale of ambition and ingenuity undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and later hidden from the public.”

The book is the winner of several awards, including National Book Critics Circle Award in Nonfiction and the Kirkus Nonfiction Prize. In addition, it was shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and named a New York Times Notable Book.

Higginbotham is also the author of “Midnight in Chernobyl,” winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and one of The New York Times’ Ten Best Books of 2019.

For more information, contact Jeremy Murray, professor of history, at jmurray@csusb.edu.