On February 1, 2003, Space Shuttle Columbia began its descent back to earth. As the shuttle raced over the Pacific towards the United States, the shuttle broke apart while reentering the Earth's atmosphere over Texas and Louisiana. | The Times of India

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