The Challenger Shuttle 25 Years Later

Roll Out
In 1979, NASA commissioned Rockwell to convert STA-099 to a space-rated orbiter. The process required the disassembly and replacement of many components, including the crew module, which had only been simulated in the craft's test version. The new vehicle, pictured above in July 1982, was christened Challenger, named for the British naval vessel that sailed the Atlantic and Pacific in the 1870s. This was the second time NASA had used the moniker; The Lunar Excursion Module (LEM) from the Apollo 17 mission was also known as Challenger.

• Watching Apollo 11 Liftoff