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'Catastrophic Failure': January 28th, 1986 was a red-letter day in the history of the American space program. It was a day that was to devastate both NASA and the families of the crew on board, as Challenger - the 25th shuttle to be launched - exploded 73 seconds after take-off, killing all on board. It was the worst US single space craft accident; and the most lethal since the Apollo 1 fire. Broadcast live around the world, the cameras caught the expressions of the crew's family as they turned from fear and exhilaration to confusion, and finally, horror as the reality of what had happened dawned on them.
