Why The Challenger Disaster Had Conspiracy Theorists Buzzing

According to Snopes, this whole theory was concocted, or at least popularized, in 2015, a full three decades after the Challenger launched into a fiery explosion. It seemingly began when a social media user noticed that Richard Scobee, a CEO in his mid-70s, bore a prominent resemblance to Francis Richard Scobee, award-winning Air Force pilot and noted spacecraft commander who lost his life in the Challenger disaster (via NASA). Adherents to the theory pointed out some similar physical attributes between this CEO and the late astronaut, such as a distinct downward sloping of the eyes contrasted by a high forehead and complementary thin-lipped grin. Combining this with the fact that both names include Richard Scobee and the CEO is roughly the age the astronaut would be if he had survived the flight, and viola — a theory with enough holes to literally launch a rocket through it (per PolitiFact).

Historians were quick to note that Richard Scobee the CEO was also alive and well in 1986 and holding down a rather demanding Chicago-based career at the time, serving as CEO and president of a popular marketing agency. You would think this fact would put the conspiracy theory to rest once and for all, but alas, it only motivated theorists to dig up more photographs of more people with similar names.

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