Space Shuttle Challenger Explodes January 28th, 1986

Posted: January 28, 2020 at 7:27 am

On this day (January 28th) in 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into its mission. The first such disaster in the history of the U.S. space program inspired one of the most moving speeches ever made by President Ronald Reagan, who addressed the nation just hours after the craft and crew were lost.