The space shuttle Challenger explosion was a defining moment of the 1980s. Whether you were watching on TV or in person, chances are, you remember exactly where you were and how you felt.

On this day in 1986, millions watched on live TV as the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded moments after launch, Eliot Wilson remembers On this day 40 years ago, NASA was preparing to launch the 25th mission of its Space Shuttle programme,

Marking three decades since the explosion of the Challenger claimed the lives of its seven-member crew, we recap the incident, the investigation, and the lessons learned on the path to space and beyond.

On Jan. 28, 1986, America witnessed a tragedy: the explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger in the blue skies over Florida. The doomed shuttle touched us like we have never been touched before because along with the tragic loss of astronauts, a teacher was on board.

Forty years ago, the Challenger space shuttle exploded over Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing all seven crew members.