The burn - through problem was treated as a small mishap by the media .
The burn - through problem was did not receive significant interest until after the Challenger disaster in 1986 ; the only major contemporary public criticism came from NASA 's Soviet counterparts .
The burn - through problem was treated as a small mishap by the media , and did not receive significant interest until after the Challenger disaster in 1986 ; the only major contemporary public criticism came from NASA 's Soviet counterparts .