Just moments following ignition, the Space Shuttle Challenger, mated to its two solid rocket boosters and an external fuel tank, soars toward a week-long mission in Earth orbit on STS 51-F. Launch occurred at 5:00 p.m. (EDT), July 29, 1985. Note the diamond shock effect in the vicinity of the three main engines. We will see shock diamonds again soon like those shown here from 4 RS-25 engines built by Aerojet Rocketdyne on the Space Launch System rocket when it lifts off into space with NASA’s Orion spacecraft on their maiden voyage to explore the dark side of the Moon. Credit: NASA #nasa #spaceshuttle #launch #nasahistory #smokeandfire #rs25 #shockdiamonds #spaceflight #aerojetrocketdyne #blastoff #heritagehardware #rocketscience #awesomepics #explorers