A film crew tracking World War II planes lost in the Bermuda Triangle has discovered a 20-foot segment of the space shuttle Challenger off the coast of Florida.
Challenger was destroyed by an explosion 73 seconds after liftoff on January 28, 1986, as millions watched on television.
All seven on board were killed.
“Of course the emotions come back, right?” NASA manager Michael Ciannilli, who confirmed the discovery, told The Associated Press. “My heart skipped a beat, I have to say, and it took me back to 1986 … and what we’ve all been through as a nation.”
The History Channel, which will air “Bermuda Triangle: Into the Cursed Waters” on Nov. 22, posted images of the discovery online. The network noted that it was the first Challenger wreckage discovered in more than 25 years:
The AP said the Challenger segment, owned by the US government, will remain in the water until NASA decides what to do next.
The Challenger disaster led to a nearly three-year hiatus from shuttle flights. An investigation found that the low overnight temperatures caused O-ring seals in the rocket’s solid segment joints to fail.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said the Challenger disaster “will forever be etched in our country’s collective memory.”
“For millions of people around the world, myself included, January 28, 1986 still feels like yesterday,” Nelson said in a press release. “This discovery gives us an opportunity to pause once again, to lift up the legacy of the seven pioneers we lost, and to reflect on how this tragedy has changed us.”
During the filming of the expedition for a series on the Bermuda Triangle, the shuttle piece was discovered in waters outside the area traditionally considered part of the region. NASA said it was found off Florida’s Space Coast, northwest of the Bermuda Triangle.
Janet Knott/Boston Globe via Getty Images
The Bermuda Triangle is a region where, according to folklore, planes and ships often disappear without a trace. However, the National Ocean Service said there is no evidence that planes and ships are more likely to disappear in the Bermuda Triangle than any other similar region of the ocean.
The History Channel said the expedition was searching for the remains of a PBM Martin Mariner rescue plane that disappeared on December 5, 1945.
“In place of the remains of World War II-era aircraft, the team discovered a modern-looking aviation facility,” the network said in a press release. Retired astronaut Bruce Melnick reviewed the footage and, suspecting it was a shuttle segment, contacted NASA.
The Challenge disaster resulted in the deaths of Shuttle Commander Francis R. “Dick” Scobee, Pilot Michael J. Smith, Payload Specialist Gregory B. Jarvis, Mission Specialists Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, and Judith A. Resnik and Sharon Christa. McAuliffe, a teacher selected from more than 11,000 applicants for the NASA Teacher in Space project.
NASA via Getty Images
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