NASA -- Beyonce 'Trivialized' Deaths of Challenger Astronauts

Beyonce got off easy with NASA ... rather than saying she blatantly exploited the deaths of the Challenger astronauts, the space agency essentially said she dishonored the memories of the crew.

As you know ... Beyonce's song, "XO" begins with sound from mission control in 1986 ... as they react to the spaceship blowing up and the 7 crew members careening to the ground.

NASA 's response ... "The Challenger accident is an important part of our history; a tragic reminder that space exploration is risky and should never be trivialized."

Beyonce came out with a bizarre, hollow justification ... "The song 'XO' was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones to remind us that unexpected things happen ..."

It's not exactly that there was suddenly a burning need to help the families cope with the deaths that are almost 2 decades old.

Could it be that Beyonce just knows good drama when she sees it?