Challenger unpacks the tragedy that rocked a nation in 1986: Interested in space exploration, history, or engineering? 34 years after the tragic incident, Challenger: The Final Flight takes a deep dive into the first fatal accident involving an American spacecraft in flight. Using archival footage, interviews, and expert analysis, the creators craft an extensive and thoughtful exploration of the social, political, and technical aspects that contributed to the Challenger crash which left all seven crew members dead.

What we liked: The attention to detail in recreating the historical context of the mission will make you feel like an expert on space exploration by the end of the series, but if you’re already familiar with the technicalities of the Challenger disaster, you might want to skip this recommendation — the series doesn’t really offer any new information regarding the mission. What it does do differently and effectively is humanize the incident and bring attention to the emotional toll suffered by those involved, reminding the audience that NASA is run by people susceptible to human error.

What was missing: We felt the ethical considerations and the long-term effects of the tragedy were lacking. A more comprehensive exploration of the impact on the space program and the subsequent changes in safety protocols could have made for an even more interesting watch.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can find this four-part docuseries on Netflix.

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