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 ...

(CNN) - Wednesday marks the 40th anniversary of the Challenger space shuttle explosion. It was a moment of collective grief on Jan. 28, 1986, when the space shuttle exploded during a live broadcast.

Editor's note: This story contains discussion of astronaut fatalities and dangerous moments in human spaceflight. It was 40 years ago today (Jan. 28) that the space shuttle Challenger blasted off on ...

On Jan. 28, 1986, the world watched in horror as the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded above the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Cape Canaveral, Florida, 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven ...

Forty years ago, the NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all 7 crew members. Among the seven crew members were 5 NASA astronauts, as well as a payload specialist ...