25 year anniversary of Challenger disaster

[Thomas Rogers]

Remember it like it was yesterday.



I was walking through the Comp Sci building of my college when one of the female profs came out of her office crying, and said: "We lost one of our shuttles!"



I went directly to a study lounge where there was a TV. Sat and watched, and rewatched the whole thing, and that was the moment that it became clear to me that going to space should never be taken for granted, and that as man's reach extends beyond his grasp we will stumble from time to time.



TJR

 

[Bill V]

I was in my sophomore year of high school, in chemistry class. Our teacher had planned to be out that day, and the sub (normally the Spanish teacher) was administering a test. The back third of the chemistry classroom doubled as the school's A/V storage area. During the test, our school principal came into the room and was hooking up and turning on one of the TVs--making just enough noise to be disruptive to the test environment. Eventually, the teacher called him out, and said, "Excuse me, Mr. Conroe, we're trying to have a test in here." That's when he let us know what had happened. The test was immediately abandoned, and the entire class was turned to the TV. Moments later, Mr. Conroe left, and moments later was on the school PA system announcing the events.



I'm sure it's just the combination of my age, and the environment, and things like that, but to me, that moment seems even more surreal in my memory than 9/11...

 

[Bo Loo]

Walking through the Atlanta Airport during my transfer from NSGA Azores to NSGA Winter Harbor, ME. The normally packed airport walkways were nearly deserted. Curious, I squeezed into a bar and saw the TV coverage. I wanted to throw up when I saw it.

 

[Richard L]

I was at a local Radio Shack store buying a Hexadecimal Calculator for work, when it came on the display TV's. Very shocking since we were all led to believe that space launches of the space shuttles were so safe...?



Next week (Feb 1st) is the 8th anniversary of the space shuttle Columbia that disinegrated over Texas in 2003. They found a piece of metal from the Columbia about 15 miles south of Waco (where I lived) next to some railroad tracks and it was still hot and smoking...that's about 100 miles south of the intended flight path. Most of the wreckage was East Southeast of Dallas.



Odd that we can remember such details about where we where, etc. Kind of like those of us who are old enough to remember when JFK was shot in Dallas. Everybody remembers where they were when they heard the news.



...Rich

 

[Johnny O]

I was walking into the CCU of the hospital where I worked at the time.

 

[EddieS'04]

I dont remember where I was. Most likely work. It is hard to believe 25yrs. I have been watching the story if NASA on PBS. They just covered the disaster, last session.

 

[MikeSondra Grossen]

I was in 4th grade and remember the teacher crying as she told us.

Sondra

 

[Bud Williams]

I was home (So. Calif.) on leave from the military between duty stations. Remember afterward, the radio stationwas playing "Rocketman". Too surreal, both shuttle disasters were very shocking...