Generations were united in outer space when a ball that had travelled with one of the Challenger astronauts made it to the International Space Station
A football that was onboard the tragic Challenger space shuttle has been sent into space 31 years after the deadly accident.
On January 28, 1986 the shuttle exploded 73 seconds after take-off at Cape Canaveral, United States, killing all seven members of the crew.
But their memory was resurrected this week thanks to the efforts of Shane Kimbrough, a member of the team manning the International Space Station which orbits the earth.