CAPE CANAVARAL, Fla., Jan. 28, 1986 (UPI) -- For want of a battery to fix the drill to fix the nut to fix the hatch -- for want of all that, the launch was lost.

Americans were horrified Tuesday as they huddled in shock around television sets and watched over and over the fiery explosion of the space shuttle Challenger that killed six astronauts and schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 1986 (UPI) -- President Reagan scrapped his State of the Union speech Tuesday to mourn the crew of the shuttle Challenger as fallen heroes and he promised, ''We'll continue our quest in space. ... Nothing ends here.''

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 1986 (UPI) -- President Reagan postponed his State of the Union address Tuesday night and instead will speak to the American people about the tragedy of the explosion aboard the space shuttle Challenger, White House spokesman Larry Speakes announced Tuesday.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Jan. 28, 1986 (UPI) -- The day began so beautifully Tuesday, so full of promise and excitement for the third graders from Kimball Elementary School in Concord, N.H., home of teacher-astronaut Christa McAuliffe.

From President Reagan to school children to workers who made parts for the space shuttle Challenger, Americans mourned the six astronauts and teacher Christa McAuliffe who perished when the shuttle exploded moments after takeoff.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 1986 (UPI) -- A shocked President Reagan, called from his desk to watch television tape of the space shuttle Challenger disaster, said Tuesday ''there will be no more flights'' until the safety of manned space missions is assured.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 1986 (UPI) -- Here is a chronology of accidents and malfunctions since the United States and the Soviet Union first began the manned exploration of space.July 21, 1961. Air Force Capt. Virgil Grissom's Mercury capsule sinks after an explosive blows the escape hatch off prematurely. Grissom swam from the capsule safely.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla., Jan. 28, 1986 (UPI) -- Military ships and aircraft ranged almost 175 miles across the Atlantic Ocean east of Florida's spaceport Tuesday in a futile search for survivors of the shuttle Challenger disaster, and warned private vessels to stay away for fear toxic debris.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 1986 (UPI) -- The loss of the shuttle Challenger staggered members of Congress Tuesday and brought almost immediate adjournments of Senate and House sessions. The seven who perished were lauded as pioneers who carried America's ''hopes and dreams'' into space.

CONCORD, N.H., Jan. 28, 1986 (UPI) - Six months after lining Main Street to salute Christa McAuliffe as the first schoolteacher selected to go to outer space, her neighbors knelt in St. Peter's Church Tuesday night and prayed for the ill-fated pioneer.

Each time entry is EST, showing the hour, minutes and seconds.

CONCORD, N.H., Jan. 28, 1986 (UPI) -- Students at Christa McAuliffe's high school wildly cheered her blastoff today than sat in stunned silence as the space shuttle Challenger apparently exploded during its climb into orbit.