Tragic Memory Revived with Discovery Off Florida Coast
(DailyVantage.com) – Just 73 seconds after its launch, the Challenger Space Shuttle broke apart on January 28, 1986, killing all seven people onboard. Now, nearly 40 years after the tragedy, a documentary crew has found a piece of the shuttle.
In March, a film crew looking for a WWII aircraft in the Atlantic came upon a large piece of wreckage it says belonged to the Challenger. The group reached out to NASA officials, who confirmed the find was, indeed, part of Challenger on Thursday, November 10. It’s the first piece of the vessel discovered since 1996.
The fragment’s size, which NASA Manager Michael Ciannilli believes is part of the shuttle’s belly, is still undetermined because sand covers it on the ocean floor. However, estimates say it’s at least 15 feet by 15 feet.
Of course, the find brings back strong emotions of the day, and Ciannilli says he felt it, too. “My heart skipped a beat,” he said, according to Fox News. “It brought me right back to 1986.” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson commented on how the discovery created a chance for reflection.
According to a statement by the space agency, plans for dealing with the wreckage are still unclear. Officials are currently figuring out the next steps, but if anyone decides to look for it, the fragment still belongs to the US government.
Did you watch the shuttle launch on that fateful day?
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