...slipped the surly bonds...

[lynchjm24]

Originally Posted by Draft Dodger

hmmm, that means 20 years ago I was home from high school with the chicken pox.

Challenger was the first "I remember where I was when it happened" moment of my life.

You don't remember Reagan getting shot?

EDIT: I guess I'm asking 2 years too late. But I was in 8th grade when Challenger happened and I remember them rolling TVs into our 2nd grade class for Reagan.

[RendeR]

Telle and I will never forget the Columbia tragedy, it was the day i proposed to her. We had taken a weekend trip to a really nice Inn up in Maine. 3 feet of snow covered everything, it was wonderful, then we're watching the news and that comes on.

It was just awful to watch, knowing that shining burning flare across the sky was our intrepid space shuttle giving its farewell to the world.

[dacman]

Yearly bump (sort of -- missed it last year).

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by RendeR

Telle and I will never forget the Columbia tragedy, it was the day i proposed to her. We had taken a weekend trip to a really nice Inn up in Maine. 3 feet of snow covered everything, it was wonderful, then we're watching the news and that comes on.

It was just awful to watch, knowing that shining burning flare across the sky was our intrepid space shuttle giving its farewell to the world.

A. I had no idea you were so freakin old
B. You got engaged young, good for you that you have a happy marriage still

[BigPapi]

Originally Posted by lighthousekeeper

I remember I was in 3rd grade when the Challenger exploded. They wheeled the TV into the classroom and the class watched.

I don't remember the impetus, but for some reason I was laughing (don't remember whether it was because of what was on TV or some other thing going on) but I do remember the teacher scolding me, telling me that it was inappropriate. Being a shy, do-gooder type kid, I never wanted to do anything to upset the teacher, so I was a little embarrassed. But I also felt at that moment a little defensive and although I didn't say anything, I thought to myself (in whatever way a 3rd grader frames these thoughts): "people are dying every second all over the world. why should these deaths be more solemn than the others? if we can't laugh when someone dies, then we can never laugh". don't know if those were the exact thoughts, but it was something along those lines.

I guess I haven't really matured/learned much since then.

That kind of levity will come in handy when loved ones pass away...

[Galaril]

Ironic that the news is also reporting Obama has axed the funding for next years budget for the NASA Constellation space program from early reports of his budget . I guess something has to be cut but I have generally always thought we should be looking more to going out into space.

[Schmidty]

I was in 5th grade, and I remember my whole class huddling around a radio in the classroom, because everyone was so excited about the teacher going up. I still remember my teacher and most of the girls in the class looking shocked and then sobbing when the accident happened. Normally, I would have been happy to be released early, but I just couldn't enjoy it that day.

[Celeval]

4th grade. We weren't watching it, but it was announced over the loudspeaker. I wasn't allowed to watch it (via the news) on TV until I had finished my paper route, and I think I ran the whole way through.

[dacman]

Yearly bump.

[Toddzilla]

We weren't watching either - space shuttles were pretty common so no one made a big deal about it - nothing like the first one going up 5-6 years previously. Someone at school heard about it and the word spread real fast.

[dacman]

Annual bumpage.

[Chief Rum]

16 years later... we don't even have a shuttle program anymore.

I miss the halcyon days of my youth when I used to dream about being an American astronaut and travelling to the stars.

[sterlingice]

Same

SI

[dzilla77]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

16 years later... we don't even have a shuttle program anymore.

I miss the halcyon days of my youth when I used to dream about being an American astronaut and travelling to the stars.

Its, uh, 26 years later. Yeah, that's right you're getting OLD!

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by dzilla77

Its, uh, 26 years later. Yeah, that's right you're getting OLD!

The 90s don't count.

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

The 90s don't count.

I second this emotion. The 90's sucked ass.

[RendeR]

Originally Posted by Lathum

A. I had no idea you were so freakin old
B. You got engaged young, good for you that you have a happy marriage still

Wow I need to check the threads I post in, I missed this altogether.


We got engaged in 2002. We watched the Columbia disaster, I realize I may have confused you since this thread was about Challenger to begin with =)

and yes I'm old. Fuck You. =)

[dacman]

I can't believe

a) It's been THIRTY years now

b) I originally posted this TEN years ago

[digamma]

I think others in Atlanta may remember we had one of "those" Atlanta snow days where schools were closed on the threat of snow and because it was really freaking cold, even by northern standards. I was at home watching the launch live. One of those bizarre things.

When I think about it, I've randomly been in a place to watch live television of two of the more transcendent moments of our generation--the Challenger explosion and happening to turn on CNN between the time the two planes hit on 9/11. Sad, in a way.

[lungs]

This is probably my first recollection of a news event. I was three and a half years old.

[Toddzilla]

I remember when you posted it 10 years ago. I was at work I think, getting ready for a meeting. I'd just opened my Diet Mountain Dew and had a few minutes before the meeting so I opened my browser and went to FOFC. It may not have been the top thread at the time, possibly a few down, but when I saw the Reagan quote...bracketed by the beautiful ellipses...I knew immediately what it was about. I read it and thought about what had happened 20 years previously.

I imagine just ten short years from now, I'll look back and recollect, thoughtfully remembering the time I looked back and recollected, and thoughtfully remembered the day I saw your post for the first time. And I looked back.

Recollected.

And thoughtfully remembered.

[cartman]

Originally Posted by digamma

I think others in Atlanta may remember we had one of "those" Atlanta snow days where schools were closed on the threat of snow and because it was really freaking cold, even by northern standards. I was at home watching the launch live. One of those bizarre things.

That's what one of my friends remembers as well. He and his family had recently moved to Atlanta from the Cape Canaveral area, where they would watch launches before going to school. He remembers the snow day, and that they decided to watch a launch on TV for the first time.

[PilotMan]

I was at the G&T school that I went to one day a week in 5th grade. We didn't get to watch it, but some of the other kids who did came back talking about it. I didn't believe them at first. But as more corroborated it I just couldn't believe it.

I remember being at my Dad's house that summer, being up early in the morning watching the results of the investigation as it aired on CSPAN. I was riveted to the analysis of the investigation.

[JeeberD]

I was totally unaware that the astronauts were likely still alive until the crashed into the ocean. Such a horrifying thing to think about...

Thirty Years Ago, the Challenger Crew Plunged Alive and Aware to Their Deaths

[SteveMax58]

Wow, 30 years ago.

I was actually at KSC on a school field trip that day. I was specifically sitting inside the Imax theater when it blew up (apparently my class was shafted with the theater time to not be outside for the launch).

We heard a gigantic boom inside the theater, but given how loud the movie was, it didn't quite make us (or me anyway) think anything was going on. Then the lights came on, and we were all ushered outside and all of the classes were there...some people were crying and most were just staring at the sky. I recall the gigantic fuel trails in the sky and thos of us who were clueless were asking each other why the trails were going different directions.

Oddly, I don't recall much of that day beyond those very scant images in my head.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

I was totally unaware that the astronauts were likely still alive until the crashed into the ocean. Such a horrifying thing to think about...

Thirty Years Ago, the Challenger Crew Plunged Alive and Aware to Their Deaths

While it's a bit harrowing to think about, the astronauts were well-aware of the risks. They knew death was a real possibility on many levels. It's easy to play the blame game about a parachute or something along those lines that might have allowed them to float down, but the reality is that you should never feel safe sitting on top of a rocket with thousands of pounds of rocket fuel.

[Toddzilla]

The NPR story about the engineers that knew there were catastrophic issues with launching the shuttle in such cold weather and telling their bosses to scrub the launch or there will be a disaster is chilling to listen to.

[Suicane75]

Forgive what may be a stupid question, but what then is the general consensus on how they died? Impact? Drowning?

[BYU 14]

IIRC the impact/shock waves from the explosion was said to be the cause of death at the time. (Then remembered what Jeebs posted below later)

Man 30 years, still so vivid.

I was 22 years old working for Orkin and spraying an apartment complex in Pasadena when this happened. I went into one of the units were people were home and the local channel had just cut in saying the shuttle appeared to have exploded.

[SteveMax58]

Originally Posted by Suicane75

Forgive what may be a stupid question, but what then is the general consensus on how they died? Impact? Drowning?

Officially it was undetermined but NASA's investigation stated they most likely survived the explosion and that at least 3 were probably conscious as they activated their oxygen masks. The cabin was intact until it hit the water at 200+ mph.