Liftoff of the Shuttle Challenger for STS 51-L mission

51L-S-154 (28 Jan. 1986) --- The space shuttle Challenger lifted off from Pad 39B Jan. 28, 1986 at 11:38 a.m. (EST) with a crew of seven astronauts and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS). An accident 73 seconds after liftoff claimed both crew and vehicle. Photo credit: NASA