Space Shuttle Challenger explodes
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On Jan. 28, 1986, NASA’s 25th space shuttle mission, Challenger, left the launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Florida. Seventy-three seconds into flight, Challenger exploded over the Atlantic Ocean as millions of people watched.
Wednesday marks a somber anniversary in American history. 40 years ago, seven astronauts were killed when Space Shuttle Challenger exploded during liftoff.
On Jan. 28, 1986, America witnessed a tragedy: the explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger in the blue skies over Florida. The doomed shuttle touched us like we have never been touched before because along with the tragic loss of astronauts, a teacher was on board.
NASA's Space Shuttle Program, which ran from 1981 to 2011, was a complex and ambitious project that pushed the boundaries of space exploration, but was marred by two tragic accidents during the shuttle era.