Why does former child actor Peter Billingsley appear in Challenger: The Final Flight? The four-part documentary examines what went wrong in NASA's failed 1986 Challenger mission, and how Utah-based contractor Morton-Thiokol played a direct role in the craft's malfunction.
Overall, the Netflix docuseries primarily focuses on the stories told by people involved with the Challenger mission. Various NASA employees recall the sociopolitical factors that led to a diverse crew, and relatives of the Challenger astronauts discuss their pre-mission experiences. Christa McAuliffe made the crew via the Teacher in Space Project, which not only made the launch groundbreaking, but also inspired hope for future astronauts. Sadly, an O-ring malfunction led to the Challenger's disintegration, and caused the deaths of seven U.S. astronauts: McAuliffe, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, and Gregory Jarvis.
Billingsley first appears in the second episode of the Netflix docuseries entitled "HELP." After portraying Ralphie Parker in the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story, the actor naturally received some big opportunities in the following years, including the chance to be the spokesperson for the Young Astronaut Program. In Challenger: The Final Flight, Billingsley initially remembers the cultural excitement that correlated with the Challenger mission, and states, "This was a real galvanizing moment, and completely enthused a lot of people." Moments later, he properly explains his title, and reveals that he genuinely believed that he would eventually become an astronaut. When the Challenger disaster happened, Billingsley was just 14 years old.
Billingsley also references a "larger plan" in Challenger: The Final Flight that was scheduled to happen after the safe return of the Challenger astronauts. The actor hoped to participate in a national press tour with the crew, and was even promised that a "kid" would be sent to space in the near future. Ultimately, the tragedy become a major blow to NASA, and also de-railed the dreams of so many kids like Billingsley. In the third episode of Challenger: The Final Flight, the star of A Christmas Story discusses the party-like atmosphere before the Challenger's took off, and notes that he watched the launch with the McAuliffe family.
After the Challenger tragedy, Billingsley never evolved into successful adult actor, though he did maintain a working career in the entertainment industry. Just as the NASA's failed 1986 mission has become an integral part of American history and even pop culture, A Christmas Story will also be remembered for its early '80s nostalgic value. In modern movie culture, MCU fans may know Billingsley best as William Ginter Riva from Spider-Man: Far From Home.