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On the morning of January 28, 1986, seven crew members were killed when the space shuttle Challenger broke apart a little over a minute after it launched.
Those killed included five NASA astronauts, one payload specialist, and a civilian schoolteacher.
This mission was Challenger’s 10th, but the shuttle exploded due to a design flaw in a seal that was exacerbated by cold temperatures on launch day. A joint in one of the rocket boosters failed at liftoff, and the external fuel tank subsequently collapsed, leading to the demise of the vehicle.
Challenger was the second shuttle to reach space, which it did in April 1983. It also sent the first African-American astronaut into space, completed the first in-flight capture and repair of a satellite, and launched the first US woman in space.
The 1986 disaster marked a turning point for NASA. An investigation after the explosion found that many engineers and astronauts believed NASA was pushing its programs forward at breakneck speed, without sufficient funding or testing. NASA added more internal checks and processes after the event to prevent similar tragedies.
The space agency also stopped sending civilians on potentially dangerous space-shuttle missions.
Photos show the many missions of Challenger and its tragic end.
NASA unveiled Challenger to the public in 1982.
NASA
Challenger was named after the British HMS Challenger ship.
NASA
Challenger’s first mission, called STS-6, launched on April 6, 1983.
NASA
Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard the Challenger in 1983.
NASA
Guion Bluford became the first African-American astronaut in space when he flew on Challenger’s STS-8 mission in August 1983.
NASA
Astronaut Bruce McCandless became the first person to fly unconnected to a spacecraft during a Challenger mission called STS-41B.
NASA
The crew members who died when Challenger exploded in 1986 were part of the STS-51L mission.
NASA
On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after it took off for its 10th mission.
Dave Welcher/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
The remains of Challenger were collected and memorialized in a retired Minuteman missile silo at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
NASA
NASA’s space-shuttle program lasted from 1981 to 2011.
Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
