NASA has confirmed the discovery of a section of the Challenger space shuttle that exploded shortly after launch in 1986 with the tragic loss of all seven crew members.
The fragment was found during a dive off the Florida coast by a History Channel documentary crew searching for the wreckage of a World War II-era aircraft.
the scene shows what appears to be some of Challenger’s 8-inch-square thermal protection tiles lying on the seabed, partially covered by sand.
The part is reportedly about 15 square feet and may be from the underside of the spacecraft.
What they uncover off the coast of Florida, outside of the Triangle, marks the first discovery of wreckage from the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger in more than 25 years.
Almost half of the Challenger spacecraft has been recovered over the years, with the last major find comprising two fragments from the vehicle’s left wing, which came ashore in 1996.