Jan 27, 2026 · 20 min · 10 segments
Forty years ago this January, the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated on its way into orbit. All seven astronauts on board were killed. In the days after the tragedy, the world wanted answers…
Fiona PepperHost
Karl KruszelnickiHost
On January 28th, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded in the sky, killing all seven crew on board.
We've never lost an astronaut in flight.
We've never had a tragedy like this.
I remember going to my mum's place and then seeing it on her TV while we were having breakfast.
I can still remember exactly how utterly incomprehensible I found it that something like that had happened.
We just thought it was taking off into space, and then we couldn't believe it, it had exploded.
I ran outside as fast as I could and I looked up in the sky and I saw a very strange contrail.
Like, it was just shocking.
Millions of people all around the world were closely watching this launch because this was the first time that a civilian had ever been sent to space.
On January 28th, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded in the sky, killing all seven crew on board.
We've never lost an astronaut in flight.
We've never had a tragedy like this.
I remember going to my mum's place and then seeing it on her TV while we were having breakfast.
I can still remember exactly how utterly incomprehensible I found it that something like that had happened.
We just thought it was taking off into space, and then we couldn't believe it, it had exploded.
I ran outside as fast as I could and I looked up in the sky and I saw a very strange contrail.
Like, it was just shocking.
Millions of people all around the world were closely watching this launch because this was the first time that a civilian had ever been sent to space.
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