A profile of the astronauts, crew, and civilians who were involved in the January 28, 1986 flight of the spaceship, Challenger, that resulted in its explosion upon takeoff. The center point of the film is the safety inspections and arguments surrounding the use of the o-rings that ultimately were blamed for the explosion.
Bright and eager to hit the streets in search of bad guys, rookie cop Christine Paley is disappointed when she's instead assigned to process criminals. Under the supervision of a tough but likable mentor, Christine quickly learns that hers is like no other desk job in the world.
