On January 28th, 1986 the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds after launch. The event shocked the American public as many students were watching the live broadcast of the launch due to the presence of a civilian school teacher, Christa McAuliffe, on board the shuttle.
An investigation concluded that the explosion was caused by the failure of an o-ring seal on a rocket booster. It would be two and a half years before NASA sent another shuttle into space.

<a href='http://www.magnumphotos.com/Folder/2K7O3R3FA3_0' target='_blank'>Click here</a> to see images that Philip Jones Griffiths took of engineers following the disaster.