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A 20-foot-long piece of debris from the Space Shuttle Challenger was found at the bottom of the ocean floor off the coast of Florida by a documentary film crew.
Divers were searching for the remnants of World War II ships for a new series on the History Channel called The Bermuda Triangle: Into Cursed Waters when they stumbled upon what they believed to be a piece of the Challenger, which exploded just after lift-off in 1986. Seven people, including a school teacher who was set to be the first civilian in space, were killed in one of the worst disasters in the history of the U.S. space program.
The crew sent videos of their find to NASA, which confirmed that the debris came from the Challenger.
"While it has been nearly 37 years since seven daring and brave explorers lost their lives aboard Challenger, this tragedy will forever be seared in the collective memory of our country. For millions around the globe, myself included, Jan. 28, 1986, still feels like yesterday," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "This discovery gives us an opportunity to pause once again, to uplift the legacies of the seven pioneers we lost, and to reflect on how this tragedy changed us. At NASA, the core value of safety is – and must forever remain – our top priority, especially as our missions explore more of the cosmos than ever before."
The episode about the discovery of the Challenger debris will air on November 22.
NASA said it is still deciding what to do with the debris and vowed to "properly honor the legacy of Challenger's fallen astronauts and the families who loved them."