1986 Challenger Disaster - News Footage Captures World Reaction to Space Shuttle Explosion (1986)

On 28 January 1986, the Challenger space shuttle exploded 73 seconds into its flight off Cape Canaveral, Florida, killing all seven of the onboard crew. The incident was broadcast live around the world as people watched what should have been a celebrated first: Christa McAuliffe of Concord, New Hampshire becoming the first teacher in space. Instead, mission STS-51-L would become the first fatal accident involving an American spacecraft in flight. In the days that followed, ITN reported as people around the world attempted to come to terms with the tragic spectacle they had witnessed. This archive compilation includes interviews with Christa McAuliffe’s relatives, friends, and pupils, all of whom paid tribute to McAuliffe as a kind and caring figure in the community. It includes interviews with a range of experts on the implications of the Challenger disaster for the US space programme. And it features Ronald Reagan’s speech at the memorial event held three days after the crash, on 31 January 1986. Acknowledging the nation’s shared trauma in witnessing the mission’s catastrophic failure, the US president praised the bravery of the Challenger crew and stressed the importance of continuing the space programme to which they were devoted. #NASA #Challenger #Space #SpaceProgramme #SpaceRace #ChallengerDisaster #SpaceShuttle #CapeCanaveral #NationalAeronauticsAndSpaceAdministration #SpaceFlight #Disaster #Exploration #SpaceTravel To search the ITN Archive collection on Getty Images, follow the link below: https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/footage... 🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel (tap the bell icon and stay up to date with all the latest ITN Archive videos!) -    / @frontlinebyitn   🎥 Follow us on Twitter -   / itnarchive   🎥 Like us on Facebook -   / itnarchiveitnp   🎥 Check out our TikTok -   / itnarchive1955