Challenger Search Finds Hidden Wrecks

In 1986, after the space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch off Cape Canaveral, the U.S. Navy led a months-long search in the Atlantic to recover its debris. Salvage ships, divers, and submersibles systematically scanned and mapped hundreds of square nautical miles, visually classifying 711 sonar contacts and identifying not only shuttle debris but also 13 shipwrecks and 2 lost aircraft. During this same operation, search teams also recovered about 25 kilos of cocaine from the seafloor.

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