Five astronauts and two payload specialists make up the STS 51-L crew, scheduled to fly aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger in January of 1986. Crewmembers are (left to right, front row) astronauts ...

The STS-51L mission clears the tower at Launch Complex 39B at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Jan. 28, 1986. Credit: NASA / Courtesy Sign up for the Concord Monitor’s morning newsletter for ...

Col. Eileen Collins was the first woman to pilot and command a NASA space shuttle. Collins commanded the first flight after the 2003 Columbia tragedy, which also experienced a foam-shedding issue.

It's been 40 years since seven people lost their lives when the Challenger space shuttle exploded minutes after launching from Florida's Kennedy Space Center. The disaster claimed the lives of Christa ...