The remains of the Challenger Shuttle mission have been discovered nearly 37 years after it exploded with seven astronauts in what was the world’s worst space disaster. The debris of the exploded space shuttle was discovered by chance at the bottom of the Atlantic.
The debris was buried in the sand and is one of the largest pieces of the Challenger discovered in the decades since the crash. A school teacher and six others were killed moments after they launched on a space mission.
A TV documentary crew searching for the wreckage of a World War II aircraft discovered the artefact. Divers discovered a large man-made object partially covered by sand on the seafloor.
The proximity to the Florida Space Coast, along with the item’s modern construction and presence of 8-inch square tiles, led the documentary team to contact NASA.
‘While it has been nearly 37 years since seven daring and brave explorers lost their lives aboard Challenger, this tragedy will forever be seared in the collective memory of our country. For millions around the globe, myself included, Jan. 28, 1986, still feels like yesterday,’ Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson said.