Named after the commanding ship of a nineteenth-century scientific expedition that traveled the world, Challenger was the second Space Shuttle orbiter to fly into space after Columbia, and launched on …

Apr 11, 2026 · Challenger disaster, explosion of the U.S. space shuttle orbiter Challenger, shortly after its launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on January 28, 1986, which claimed the lives of seven …

Apr 24, 2025 · On January 28, 1986, NASA and the American people were rocked as tragedy unfolded 73 seconds into the flight of Space Shuttle Challenger’s STS-51L mission. Presented below are …

Jan 28, 2026 · Forty years ago today, seven spacefarers were killed in a tragic event that has become widely known as the Challenger disaster. The crew members were aboard the Challenger space …

Jan 25, 2026 · The space shuttle Challenger lifts off from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 28, 1986, in a cloud of smoke with a crew of seven aboard. The shuttle exploded shortly after this photo.

Feb 15, 2010 · The NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded on January 28, 1986, just 73 seconds after liftoff, bringing a devastating end to the spacecraft’s 10th mission.

On 28 January 1986, millions of excited Americans watched the launching of the space shuttle Challenger. Designed to recapture the public’s interest in the space program, the mission included...

Space Shuttle Challenger began Mission STS-51L with a launch from Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad 39B at 11:38:00 a.m. EST on January 28, 1986. Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch, …

Feb 1, 2022 · The space shuttle Challenger — during its 10th launch – on Jan. 28, 1986, exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crewmembers and changing NASA's space program forever.

In February 2003 the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during re-entry. The Columbia Accident Investigation Board concluded that NASA had failed to learn lessons from the Challenger disaster, …