Ex-NASA employee furious at Beyonce's use of Challenger Disaster audio

NASA employees critical of Beyonce

Beyonce Knowles' 'Surprise' didn't vibe with former NASA employees who criticized her for using sampling audio from the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster.

The song 'XO' features an audio segment from the tragic space shuttle journey that exploded just over a minute after it launched back in early 1986.

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Steve Nesbitt, public affairs officer for NASA was heard in the recording as he talked about a "Major malfunction" as the space shuttle was on its way to doom.

Beyonce's 'XO' track featured several seconds of the recording which angered former Astronauts who were insulted by its use in the context of her music video.

In response, Knowles sent a statement to ABC :

"My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the Challenger disaster. The song 'XO' was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones and to remind us that unexpected things happen, so love and appreciate every minute that you have with those who mean the most to you."

It is unclear whether the audio will be removed from the video in a re-edited version following the backlash, or whether a warning will be made on the video's page to illustrate the original source of the audio track.