Remembering space shuttle Challenger: Five ways it changed spaceflight

Twenty-five years ago Friday, the space shuttle Challenger came to a tragic end, exploding on liftoff and claiming the lives of seven astronauts. Here are five ways the Challenger pushed spaceflight forward.

4. Delivering commercial satellites

Thom Baur/AP
The space shuttle Challenger lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Jan. 28, 1986 shortly before it exploded with a crew of seven aboard.

In 1983, the commercial satellite business was booming, worth about $2 billion a year. At the same time, the Reagan administration was pushing for NASA to be more cost effective. To help meet that goal, Challenger put several commercial satellites in orbit (for a price). To help it do so, Challenger used the Remote Manipulator System, a Canadian-designed mechanical arm that allowed crew members to move satellites, and even bring them on board.

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