Divers find wreckage of NASA’s Challenger space shuttle at the bottom of the Atlantic

Divers filming a documentary about the downing of a World War II warplane off the coast of the US state of Florida accidentally found on the seabed, half buried in the sanda part of the US space shuttle Challenger where had exploded and broken into pieces shortly after launch in 1986as announced by the US Space Agency (NASA).

The divers were exploring the seabed as part of a History Channel documentary called “The Bermuda Triangle: Into the Cursed Waters” about the mysterious disappearance of planes and ships in the area (premiering Nov. 22). And while they were looking for an American rescue plane that had disappeared on 5/12/1945, they came across a much more modern find, measuring about 4.5 by 4.5 meters, which bore the distinctive NASA insignia.

It is the first time in 25 years that a damaged part of the space shuttle has come to light. killing seven astronauts and then shocking American and international public opinion. NASA chief Bill Nelson said, according to Reuters and Space.com, that it is considering whether to attempt to retrieve the find to honor the memory of the astronauts who died.

TChallenger had suddenly burst into flames during its ascent phase, just 73 seconds into its 25th launch from the Kennedy Space Center on 1/28/1986. Subsequent investigations attributed the disaster to material wear combined with the very cold environmental conditions. The fatal incident remains one of the worst disasters in the history of the US space program.

The US had then, searching for seven months, found 167 pieces of the space shuttle at the bottom, with a total weight of 118 tons, almost half of the Challenger. The new wreck found is one of the largest ever found. All parts of the Challenger remain the property of the US government.