The shuttle Atlantis launched from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center 10 years ago today at 11:29:04 a.m. EDT (1529:04 GMT). It was the 135th and final launch of the space shuttle program. See our STS-135 mission coverage: https://spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts135 | Spaceflight Now

Space Shuttle Atlantis -Launch and Landing In May 2010, Space Shuttle Atlantis launched on its final scheduled flight. Atlantis would eventually be allocated one additional mission, STS-135, which was the last flight of the Space Shuttle. #NASA #SpaceShuttle #Atlantis | Space Walk

The NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded 40 years ago, on January 28, 1986, just 73 seconds after liftoff. The disaster claimed the lives of all seven astronauts aboard, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire who would have been the first civilian in space. “The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives,” President Regan said in an address to the nation that night. “We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them,

On January 28th, 1986 the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded and broke apart on take off. This week, Destruction Decoded explores the top 10 most dramatic space accidents, from Baikonur to Cape Canaveral. Watch Destruction Decoded on Wednesdays at 8pm, on National Geographic UK. | National Geographic UK