Section of destroyed shuttle Challenger found on ocean floor. Discovery comes more than three
decades after the tragedy that killed six people. "It brings you right back to 1986," says NASA
manager in charge of the remains of both lost shuttles, Challenger and Columbia. Divers for a
TV documentary crew first spotted the piece in March while seeking wreckage of a World War II plane.
NASA verified through video that it was part of the shuttle that broke apart shortly after liftoff
on Jan. 28, 1986. All seven on board were killed, including the first schoolteacher headed for space.
A 20-foot segment of the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger was discovered in the
waters off the coast of Florida. Because of the presence of square thermal tiles, it's believed
to be from the shuttle's belly. A History Channel documentary detailing the discovery airs Nov. 22.
Important to know