Challenger

Description

This mission, one of the continuing STS series, carried a Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS-B) to be launched from the cargo bay, and the experiment Spartan Halley. The spacecraft exploded January 28, 1986, at high altitude over the Atlantic Ocean during the launch phase, and all crew members were lost. Because the spacecraft did not reach orbit, no International ID was assigned. After this mission, further STS flights were postponed until investigation and remedial actions could be completed. The next STS flight was STS 26 on Sept. 29, 1988, which also reverted to the sequential series numbering used originally, rather than the numbering scheme that used planned launch year and serial letter. Within this series, STS 25 would correspond to the failed Challenger mission.