28Jan/110
Challenger Explosion Remembered 25 Years After
Today NASA remembers the tragedy of the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion, marking its 25th anniversary.
On January 28, 1986 the entire Challenger crew was killed when the shuttle exploded just 73 seconds after launching. Many watched live through television as the shuttle came down in pieces.
NASA says that they are learning from these tragedies to improve safety and avoid these events from occurring again. Since 1964, 24 people have been killed on a NASA mission.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, "This year marks the 25th anniversary of the loss of the Challenger—a tragedy that caused us to completely rethink our systems and processes as we worked to make the shuttle safer."