‘Catastrophic Failure’: January 28th, 1986 was a red-letter day in the history of the American space program. It was a day that was to devastate both NASA and the families of the crew on board, as Challenger – the 25th shuttle to be launched – exploded 73 seconds after take-off, killing all on board. It was the worst US single space craft accident; and the most lethal since the Apollo 1 fire. Broadcast live around the world, the cameras caught the expressions of the crew’s family as they turned from fear and exhilaration to confusion, and finally, horror as the …
