Booster separation part 1. A number of rockets use boosters that separate during flight. 1. Space Shuttle (NASA): The Space Shuttle, which was in operation from 1981 to 2011, used two solid rocket boosters that would detach and parachute back to Earth after their fuel was depleted. 2. Saturn V (NASA): The Saturn V rocket that powered the Apollo missions to the moon had multiple stages, each of which would separate when its fuel was depleted. 3. Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy (SpaceX): SpaceX’s Falcon

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