STS-51-L was a space shuttle mission that was launched on January 28, 1986. The mission was flown by the space shuttle Challenger and was the 25th mission in the Space Transportation System (STS) program. The mission ended in disaster when the Challenger spacecraft broke apart just 73 seconds into the flight, killing all seven crew members on board. The mission patch for STS-51-L features the space shuttle Challenger, which is surrounded by a blue circle representing the Earth. The patch also features the words “STS-51-L” and “Challenger,” as well as the mission’s primary payload, the Spacelab module. The patch also includes the insignias of NASA and the Spacelab program. The disaster of the STS-51-L mission was a major tragedy for the space program and led to significant changes in the design and operation of the space shuttle.
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