My young son and I watched the liftoff on a waiting room television at Duke University Medical Center. The room was full, every seat taken. When the explosion happened without thinking I held onto my son and stood straight up in shock. All the noise receded to a dull ringing in my ears. I knew immediately what had happened. Several people in the room applauded, thinking it was a good sign. One asked me what was wrong, why I was so pale. I remembered hoarsely telling her that there was an explosion. Everyone grew quiet and then I heard crying. My son worriedly wiped away the tears running down my face.
The loss of the Challenger and Columbia broke my heart. I keep the dates marked on my calendar so every year I can say a prayer for those lost and those left behind.
@DanRather #DanRather 💜💜💜💜 Dear Dan, thank you for such a momentous read on such a tragic and powerful event. The Space Shuttle has always been a difficult topic for me. This definitely helps. 🦄
I was a sophomore in a small Catholic girls' high school in 1986. Our principal - a Franciscan nun - came on the P.A. and asked us to bow our heads at our desks and recite the Our Father and Hail Mary. No one knew why for a good few minutes until she announced, at the end of the prayer, that the shuttle had exploded. My chemistry teacher had actually applied for the "Teacher in Space" program, and I still remember him watching the endless replays of the moment Challenger disintegrated, his face pale and leaving our classroom in stunned silence. Up until the last shuttle launch I think we all held our breath at 73 seconds ("go at throttle up") every single time they took off.
I remember this day like it was yesterday. I was in 5th grade and the whole school was watching this. Everyone was so excited about a launch but also about the first teacher in space. We were watching the shuttle take off and then just silent as we realized what was going on. I remember being in disbelief and then distraught. TV's were quickly removed from the assembly room and we were taken back to our classes. Our teacher tried to comfort us as best he could. I cried all the way home that day.
Thanks for bringing this back to our attention; I too recall watching the liftoff on TV and - so horrible to see the explosion happen in real time.... your words resonated with me.
I was working the flight in mission control. IMHO the news media never did get it right. We all knew cold temps did not allow the O rings to work as designed but because of Reagan's Teacher in space was to be featured on that evening's state of the union address with a live conversation the WH demanded we launch and Goddard caved, our flight director had ordered us to stand down yet the old addage "I was only following orders" comes to mind. The problems caused by this statement throughout history are manifold and the most current are the excuses of the traitors in the Jan. 6th attempted coup at the capital. America has lost it's spine!
A beautiful memorial and I love that poem. That was such a stunning day - I wonder how many people actually still remember the event. That mission was such a move forward regarding the members aboard, but it's probably not that well remembered. Thank you for this post.
Like the day President Kennedy was assassinated, I recall exactly where I was and what I was doing. The country united in its grief, something that seems a foreign concept today.
I could feel myself starting to choke up as I read this. 😥 I remember exactly where I was when the Challenger and her brave crew were lost to us. A few years ago, I had taken my kids to the OMNI theatre to see a History of Space Flight show. It didn't occur to me they would show the explosion. It was like I was seeing it again for the first time on that giant screen. I'm sure I was not the only adult there trying desperately not to sob out loud. The shuttle program was a huge part of my young life and recalling this tragedy always gets to me. Failures aside, I still love the idea of it, the quest to go to the Moon, to Mars and beyond. I continue to follow NASA and now, SpaceX. I'm thankful that the technology and testing has improved. Unfortunately, the SpaceX landing yesterday (2/2) didn't go so well but the launch was a success and there was no one on-board. May we always strive for the stars!✨
I remember this like it was yesterday. I was in my first week of student teaching, in a third grade classroom. We were so excited to watch this on tv. Thirty 8 year olds glued to a small tv on a cart.....still makes me tear up.
Lesson to be learned: listen to those engineers and scientists who question safety of designs - in fact encourage non-vested examination of design for safety. The O-ring.
*gulp* I was watching it from work , snuck out on a break to watch her and I just could not figure out what all that white billowy poofy plumes of smoke were
I worked on Challenger in the astronaut office building - I wasn't an astronaut but a lowly editor for the Flight Data File, cue cards, and the EVA cuff checklist - still, I worked on that particular shuttle project and when it was lost, it wasn't just a machine, it was, in a sense, co-workers - we used the same restrooms and they'd eat at the same cafeteria. It was devastating.
A beautiful tribute. Thank you.
My young son and I watched the liftoff on a waiting room television at Duke University Medical Center. The room was full, every seat taken. When the explosion happened without thinking I held onto my son and stood straight up in shock. All the noise receded to a dull ringing in my ears. I knew immediately what had happened. Several people in the room applauded, thinking it was a good sign. One asked me what was wrong, why I was so pale. I remembered hoarsely telling her that there was an explosion. Everyone grew quiet and then I heard crying. My son worriedly wiped away the tears running down my face.
The loss of the Challenger and Columbia broke my heart. I keep the dates marked on my calendar so every year I can say a prayer for those lost and those left behind.
@DanRather #DanRather 💜💜💜💜 Dear Dan, thank you for such a momentous read on such a tragic and powerful event. The Space Shuttle has always been a difficult topic for me. This definitely helps. 🦄
I was a sophomore in a small Catholic girls' high school in 1986. Our principal - a Franciscan nun - came on the P.A. and asked us to bow our heads at our desks and recite the Our Father and Hail Mary. No one knew why for a good few minutes until she announced, at the end of the prayer, that the shuttle had exploded. My chemistry teacher had actually applied for the "Teacher in Space" program, and I still remember him watching the endless replays of the moment Challenger disintegrated, his face pale and leaving our classroom in stunned silence. Up until the last shuttle launch I think we all held our breath at 73 seconds ("go at throttle up") every single time they took off.
I remember this day like it was yesterday. I was in 5th grade and the whole school was watching this. Everyone was so excited about a launch but also about the first teacher in space. We were watching the shuttle take off and then just silent as we realized what was going on. I remember being in disbelief and then distraught. TV's were quickly removed from the assembly room and we were taken back to our classes. Our teacher tried to comfort us as best he could. I cried all the way home that day.
Thanks for bringing this back to our attention; I too recall watching the liftoff on TV and - so horrible to see the explosion happen in real time.... your words resonated with me.
I was working the flight in mission control. IMHO the news media never did get it right. We all knew cold temps did not allow the O rings to work as designed but because of Reagan's Teacher in space was to be featured on that evening's state of the union address with a live conversation the WH demanded we launch and Goddard caved, our flight director had ordered us to stand down yet the old addage "I was only following orders" comes to mind. The problems caused by this statement throughout history are manifold and the most current are the excuses of the traitors in the Jan. 6th attempted coup at the capital. America has lost it's spine!
While hindsight is often perfect, it should not have taken Richard Feynman to figure out what went wrong.
A beautiful memorial and I love that poem. That was such a stunning day - I wonder how many people actually still remember the event. That mission was such a move forward regarding the members aboard, but it's probably not that well remembered. Thank you for this post.
Like the day President Kennedy was assassinated, I recall exactly where I was and what I was doing. The country united in its grief, something that seems a foreign concept today.
I could feel myself starting to choke up as I read this. 😥 I remember exactly where I was when the Challenger and her brave crew were lost to us. A few years ago, I had taken my kids to the OMNI theatre to see a History of Space Flight show. It didn't occur to me they would show the explosion. It was like I was seeing it again for the first time on that giant screen. I'm sure I was not the only adult there trying desperately not to sob out loud. The shuttle program was a huge part of my young life and recalling this tragedy always gets to me. Failures aside, I still love the idea of it, the quest to go to the Moon, to Mars and beyond. I continue to follow NASA and now, SpaceX. I'm thankful that the technology and testing has improved. Unfortunately, the SpaceX landing yesterday (2/2) didn't go so well but the launch was a success and there was no one on-board. May we always strive for the stars!✨
I remember this like it was yesterday. I was in my first week of student teaching, in a third grade classroom. We were so excited to watch this on tv. Thirty 8 year olds glued to a small tv on a cart.....still makes me tear up.
I remember. I also remember today Feb 1 is the anniversary of the Columbia Shuttle disaster. Sherry
It was devastating.
Lesson to be learned: listen to those engineers and scientists who question safety of designs - in fact encourage non-vested examination of design for safety. The O-ring.
*gulp* I was watching it from work , snuck out on a break to watch her and I just could not figure out what all that white billowy poofy plumes of smoke were
I will never forget
I worked on Challenger in the astronaut office building - I wasn't an astronaut but a lowly editor for the Flight Data File, cue cards, and the EVA cuff checklist - still, I worked on that particular shuttle project and when it was lost, it wasn't just a machine, it was, in a sense, co-workers - we used the same restrooms and they'd eat at the same cafeteria. It was devastating.