Piece of doomed NASA space shuttle discovered on ocean floor almost 40 years after disaster

You'll often find in life that when you are looking for something, you'll often discover something else entirely.

That is exactly what happened to a documentary crew who were filming off the east coast of Florida late last year.

Exploring the deep ocean in search of the wreckage of a World War II-era aircraft, crew from the History Channel discovered a chunk of NASA's doomed Challenger rocket.

The discovery came nearly 40 years after the Challenger rocket exploded 73 seconds into its flight in front of the eyes of stunned NASA engineers and millions watching around the world back in 1986.

All seven on board were killed when the spaceship disintegrated at 46,000 feet above the Atlantic Ocean.

Astronauts Francis R. Scobee, Michael J. Smith, Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, Judith A. Resnik, Gregory B. Jarvis and teacher S. Christa McAuliffe all perished.

NASA

Once the crew found the remains of the shuttle, they immediately contacted NASA due to the location being close to the space agency's home.

NASA later confirmed the debris was a segment of the heat shield from the failed rocket, making the find the 'the first discovery of wreckage' from the 1986 disaster 'in more than 25 years'.

The History Channel, who captured the footage of the debris as part of a documentary about the Bermuda Triangle, later released the footage on social media.

In a statement at the time, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said: "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.

"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."

YouTube / History Channel

Meanwhile, Kennedy Space Center Director Janet Petro paid her own tribute to those on board Challenger.

She said: "Challenger and her crew live on in the hearts and memories of both NASA and the nation.

"Today, as we turn our sights again toward the Moon and Mars, we see that the same love of exploration that drove the Challenger crew is still inspiring the astronauts of today’s Artemis Generation, calling them to build on the legacy of knowledge and discovery for the benefit of all humanity."