Piece of NASA’s Challenger shuttle is FOUND by divers in the Atlantic Ocean

A piece of NASA‘s fallen Challenger has been discovered in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida nearly 37 years after the craft exploded 73 seconds into flight and killing all seven astronauts aboard.

It was found by a History Channel documentary diving crew who shared footage with the American space agency because the ‘large humanmade object’ was in ‘proximity to the Florida Space Coast.’

NASA confirmed it is a segment of the heat shield that was in the nose cone of the Challenger, marking ‘the first discovery of wreckage’ from 1986 craft in more than 25 years,’ History Channel proudly announced on Twitter Thursday.

Michael Ciannilli, a NASA manager who confirmed the remnant’s authenticity, said his heart skipped a beat watching the footage, as the emotions he had that fateful date came rushing back.

The Challenger was a loss experienced by millions worldwide on January 28, as seven astronauts took off in the craft that near immediately malfunctioned and disintegrated 46,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

The diving crew, which was initially searching for remains of a World War II-era aircraft, was shooting a segment for History Channel’s upcoming documentary ‘The Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters,’ set to air on November 22, when they noticed a modern piece of construction buried in the sand.

The item was made of eight-inch squares, which NASA confirmed to be thermal protection titles of the heat shield.

The underwater video provided ‘pretty clear and convincing evidence,’ said Ciannilli. 

The piece is more than 15 feet by 15 feet, but is likely larger due to much of it being buried at the bottom of the ocean. 

Roughly 118 tons of Challenger debris have been recovered since the accident, which is about 47 percent of the entire vehicle, including parts of the two solid-fuel boosters and external fuel tank.

Most of the recovered wreckage remains buried in abandoned missile silos at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The exception is a left side shuttle panel on display at Kennedy Space Center’s visitor complex, alongside the charred cockpit window frame from shuttle Columbia, which broke apart over Texas during reentry in 2003, killing seven astronauts.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement: ‘While it has been nearly 37 years since seven daring and brave explorers lost their lives aboard Challenger, this tragedy will forever be seared in the collective memory of our country. For millions around the globe, myself included, January 28, 1986, still feels like yesterday.

‘This discovery gives us an opportunity to pause once again, to uplift the legacies of the seven pioneers we lost, and to reflect on how this tragedy changed us. 

‘At NASA, the core value of safety is – and must forever remain – our top priority, especially as our missions explore more of the cosmos than ever before.’

The discovery was made in March, when the documentary crew embarked on a mission to find the wreck of PBM Martin Mariner rescue plane that disappeared on December 5, 1945.

After consulting with an outside expert and completing a second dive in May 2022, the team presented the full evidence to retired American astronaut Bruce Melnick who suspected it was a piece of the Challenger space shuttle.

Based on this information, producers brought the discovery to the attention of NASA and in August 2022, Ciannilli, confirmed this was a significant remnant of Challenger.

Underwater explorer Mike Barnette, who led that team that made the discovery, said in a statement: ‘The significance of this large section of Challenger’s structure was readily apparent.

‘We recognized the necessity of bringing this find to the immediate attention of NASA.

‘The site, which is outside of the Bermuda Triangle off the Florida coast, marks the loss of seven brave astronauts–fellow explorers–and the Challenger disaster was a tragic setback for America’s space program.

‘But from this horrific event, important lessons were learned that have ultimately led to remarkable advances in space exploration.’

The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster started the night before launch, as below-freezing temperatures impacted the integrity of the rockets’ O-rings that were holding the booster sections together and contained rocket fuel.

Moments after liftoff, smoke began to flow out from the booster sections, resulting in a small flame that quickly grew and caused the rocket to explode mid-air.

It is believed the crew on board survived the initial explosion, but that the terminal velocity of the fall of the shuttle back into the ocean at more than 200 miles per hour was fatal.

Among the seven on board the Challenger shuttle was Christa McAuliffe, the first member of the Teacher In Space Project, after she beat 11,000 candidates to the coveted role.

The unique trip, where she planned to teach American students from space, gained the program much publicity particularly because McAuliffe had an immediate rapport with the U.S. media and public.

Part of the excitement over the ‘citizen astronaut’ was the reason why so many people watched the Challenger disaster first-hand including many schoolchildren.

Then president Ronald Regan ordered an investigation into the Challenger catastrophe where poor management and a disregard of safety advice were said to have played a role in the disaster. 

It resulted in a break of around three years in NASA’s shuttle program.