External fuel tank separating from Space Shuttle Atlantis during NASA’s STS-132 mission in May 2010. About 9 minutes after launch, the shuttle’s main engines shut down, and the massive orange external tank is released after completing its job of feeding fuel to the engines. The tank then drifts away and later burns up safely in Earth’s atmosphere. STS-132 was one of the final Space Shuttle missions, delivering critical hardware to the International Space Station and marking another historic mome

Space Shuttle Endeavour releases its external fuel tank shortly after launch. About 8 minutes into flight, after the main engines shut down, the massive orange tank separates and slowly drifts away into space. Its job is done — it powered Endeavour to near-orbital speed using liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen. After separation, the tank re-enters Earth’s atmosphere and safely burns up over the ocean. This moment marked a critical step in every Space Shuttle mission — and a beautiful reminder of

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