35 YEARS LATER: On this day in 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board. The Challenger broke apart at 11:39 a.m., falling into the Atlantic Ocean. Investigators would later discover the disaster was caused by the failure of an “O ring” seal in one of the two solid-fuel rockets. As a result of the horrific accident, NASA did not send astronauts into space for more than two years as it redesigned a number of space shuttle features for improv

The Challenger space shuttle took off on Jan. 28, 1986. Seventy-three seconds later, the mission ended in an explosion and a disaster. But, even through the tragedy, the lives and legacy of the crew have endured, especially that of Christa McAuliffe, who even all these years later, is still changing lives. https://www.wmur.com/article/space-shuttle-challenger-disaster-anniversary-2026/70145107 #christamcauliffe #nh #newhampshire #nasa #spaceshuttlechallenger #spaceshuttle #challenger | WMUR-TV