posted 03-19-2026 02:12 PM               

Kathy Sullivan is a consultant on the series.

The Challenger comes from Maggie Cohn (The Staircase), who will write, exec produce and serve as showrunner.

Based on Meredith E. Bagby's 2023 book The New Guys, it was initially developed at Kyra Sedgwick's Big Swing Productions, which will produce alongside Stewart's Nevermind label and Amblin Television. ...

"The Challenger" tells the story of one of the most defining moments in space history, both the unprecedented events leading up to the tragedy, and the shocking investigation that followed. As the members of the 1986 Rogers Commission interrogate the complex inner workings of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to find what, or who, was responsible for the Challenger's doomed fate, the show explores Commission member Ride's personal journey. It follows her, and the rest of the diverse Astronaut Class of '78, through the ranks of the shuttle program, through initial recruitment and training, professional and personal highs and lows, until her historic glass ceiling moment as she becomes the first American woman in space.

"Meredith, Valerie, and I at Big Swing have been passionately developing this project since 2017, and we are thrilled to be partnering with Amblin and Amazon MGM Studios. There is no one better than Maggie Cohn to bring to life the complex story of the Challenger and the new class of astronauts recruited by NASA in the early 1970s, all through the eyes of an American hero, Sally Ride," said Sedgwick.

"Sally Ride's courage and brilliance changed history, and we couldn't imagine a more powerful actor to bring her story to life than Kristen Stewart," added Peter Friedlander, Head of Global Television, Amazon MGM Studios. "'The Challenger' is an inspiring story about breaking barriers, and we're thrilled to collaborate with Big Swing Productions, Amblin Television, Nevermind Pictures, Maggie Cohn, and James Hawes to share it with our global Prime Video audience."