The two solid rocket boosters flew in different directions as the external fuel tank became a fireball.(AP: Bruce Weaver / File) Forty years ago, the Challenger space shuttle disintegrated just after ...

Forty years ago, the NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven crew members. Among the seven crew members were five NASA astronauts, as well as a payload ...

The fuel tank exploded, but the crew compartment was still intact. They got as high as 12 miles, or 19 km above the surface. At some point they fell back to the earth, and less than 3 minutes later ...