Tragic Disasters of Space Exploration

The shuttle Challenger rises on a pillar of flame on January 28, 1986 just moments before exploding in a ball of fire. All 7 astronauts aboard died.

Boldly going where no man has gone before is a risky and dangerous endeavor. There are so many unknowns and variables with space travel that, occasionally, things don’t go as planned. Both the U.S. space program and the Soviet space program have encountered their fair share of tragic accidents that highlight the risks that the astronauts face and the challenges of slipping the surly bonds of earth. Here are a few of the disasters befalling the space programs.