The crew was scheduled to deploy a communications satellite and study Halley's Comet while they were in orbit, in addition to taking schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe into space under the Teacher In Space program. The latter task resulted in a higher-than-usual media interest in and coverage of the mission; the launch and subsequent disaster were seen live in many schools across the United States.
alternative explanation for astronaut doppelgangers: time travel shenanigans.
The disaster resulted in a 32-month hiatus in the Space Shuttle program.
Crewed moon landings ended in 1972. Challenger exploded in 1986. Maybe they needed a reason to justify not going back, despite Reagan's Cold War Star Wars pressure. Controlling Reagan was likely a problem for them; assassination failed.
motives:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster
alternative explanation for astronaut doppelgangers: time travel shenanigans.
Crewed moon landings ended in 1972. Challenger exploded in 1986. Maybe they needed a reason to justify not going back, despite Reagan's Cold War Star Wars pressure. Controlling Reagan was likely a problem for them; assassination failed.