Space Shuttle Challenger 20 years later

[joepunk]

Was it the shuttle disintegrating in mid-flight that tipped him off? 😛


Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Lethal

That was my thought when my father showed my the photos. That reminds me, my father should get those on a photo CD sometime.

 

[ejb190]

I was in sixth grade and just going to English class when someone told me. They had the TV on in the class room.

I saw a paper Friday at a newsstand that the headline Challenger: 20 Years. All I could think about was how could it be 20 years already. You look at NASA and some of the bold predictions they were making in the early 80's at the height of the shuttle program and look where they are now.

When I was growing up, the shuttles and space exploration was science. Today, it is being taught as history.

 

[SiliconAddict]

You look at NASA and some of the bold predictions they were making in the early 80's at the height of the shuttle program and look where they are now.

Predictions at NASA are based on budgets which have been a joke for....ever? OK after the 70's. Forget about doing more with less. Can you do more with virtually nothing?

 

[sushi]

I was in Corpus Christi, I was in flight training with the Navy. I had an early morning (crack of dawn) flight and had just gotten to my condo and grabbed a drink, sat down and cut on the tube to watch. The rest is well known.

As a pilot in training it was impactful, aviation is dangerous and unforgiving, and space travel even more so.

God Speed Challenger Crew!

Stubeeef, well put!

I remember seeing the incident live in Germany during a deployment (REFORGER exercise). They had set up an area with TVs so those of us in the assembly area could view the launch live. So hard to believe at first.

As you state, aviation is dangerous and unforgiving. Space travel even more so.

 

[ziwi]

I was in High School and Remember not believing it - got home and saw it and just started pouring through all the books I had trying to figure out how this could happen.
As you get older - you get wiser. $$$ drives almost every decision in the world.

Still think at that point they should have started looking into the replacement - forget how many flights the original was scheduled for...there had to be and has to be a better way - 2006 and still the same fleet - it is a shame really.

But everyone above is right - it is one of those things you always remember.

 

[obeygiant]

that launch was actually the only space shuttle launch i ever attended.
I was across the lake from it when it exploded.

we were on vacation a the time and the
the weirdest thing was that when i went back to school
everyone had all these jokes made up already.
And they all were telling me stuff like..
NASA stands for needs another seven astronauts,
and that teachers eyes were blue.. one blew this way
and one blew that way...etc
to my classmates it was like it didnt really happen cuz it was on tv
and nothing on tv was ever real...

 

[Lord Blackadder]

I was five years old - but I saw the launch liuve on TV at home. Immediately after the explosion I asked my mother "what happened to the people inside?" At that age I had no idea that an accident could happen - I mean, theese people were astronauts, which at my age was akin to being superman. My mother had no answer to mys question either.

Today the anniversary has perhaps even more meaning, not only because of Columbia but because the shuttle's replacement is still very much in doubt. In the next couple months NASA is supposed to decide which contractor's proposal will be selected for the new CEV, which will resemble Apollo more than the current shuttle.