40 years after the space shuttle Challenger explosion, the Beaufort community continues to honor the life of one of their own. Read more: https://www.wnct.com/top-stories/beaufort-honors-challenger-pilot-michael-j-smith-40-years-on/ | WNCT-TV

Eastern North Carolina is remembering a local astronaut and six others who were killed 36 years ago when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after takeoff. The pilot of that mission was Beaufort native Mike Smith. It was the first time NASA lost any astronauts during a flight. Read more: https://wcti12.com/news/local/north-carolina-pilot-remembered-36-years-after-space-shuttle-challenger-explosion | WCTI News 12 | Facebook

5.7M views · 95K reactions | 40 years ago this morning, the unthinkable happened: the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all 7 astronauts on board, including Christa McAuliffe, who was supposed to be the first teacher in space. School children watched in horror as the tragedy happened. This is original coverage from the Eyewitness News vault. | ABC7NY | Facebook

On January 28th, 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded and broke apart on take off. This week, Destruction Decoded explores the top 10 most dramatic space accidents, from Baikonur to Cape Canaveral. Watch Destruction Decoded on Wednesdays at 8pm, on National Geographic UK. | National Geographic UK