How many space shuttles have blown up?

Four fully operational orbiters were initially built: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, and Atlantis. Challenger and Columbia were destroyed in mission accidents in 1986 and 2003 respectively, killing a total of fourteen astronauts. A fifth operational orbiter, Endeavour, was built in 1991 to replace Challenger.

Have any space shuttles exploded?

After the disaster, Space Shuttle flight operations were suspended for more than two years, as they had been after the Challenger disaster.
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Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.
STS-107 flight insignia
Date February 1, 2003
Cause Wing damage from debris
Outcome Loss of seven crew and Columbia; Space Shuttle fleet grounded for 29 months

What space shuttle blew up in 1983?

Challenger
Named after the commanding ship of a nineteenth-century scientific expedition that traveled the world, Challenger was the second Space Shuttle orbiter to fly into space after Columbia, and launched on its maiden flight in April 1983.
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Space Shuttle Challenger.
Challenger
Fate Explosion during launch
Space Shuttle orbiters
Discovery →

Did they recover the bodies from Challenger?

Within a day of the shuttle tragedy, salvage operations recovered hundreds of pounds of metal from the Challenger. In March 1986, the remains of the astronauts were found in the debris of the crew cabin.

How many deceased bodies are in space?

Of the 18 astronauts/cosmonauts killed during official space flight missions, only 3 have died while in space, which is defined as being above 100 kilometres (62 mi). The rest were killed during the launch phase or during atmospheric reentry.

Were any of the Columbia crew recovered?

The remains of all seven astronauts who were killed in the space shuttle Columbia tragedy have been recovered, US officials said last night. … The shuttle was travelling at 18 times the speed of sound, 39 miles above Texas, when disaster struck.