Corp000085 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 20 years ago today, 1/28/1986, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart and exploded about a minute into flight. To that, i'd like to say that we all remember and will never forget. RIP crew. To that, i'd like to add my personal story: We were in first grade and my teacher actually knew mculloff (sp?) so we personally talked to her on the phone about 2 weeks before the launch. On the day of launch, we watched on a tv in the classroom. Needless to say, it was the most vivid memory of elementary school as well as one of the most horrifying things to take part in. Again, RIP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 Sort of like my memory of the Kennedy assassination. I was the same age when that happened. I can't believe it was 20 years ago, I can't be that old, can I? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 10 grade, sitting in study hall, one of the librarians came over and told us it happened. So we all went over to watch the tv. Next period was French class, before class started the teacher went over to see it for herself. One other person in the class thought I was fooling him when I told him about it. I told him to go across the hall to see it for himself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corp000085 Posted January 28, 2006 Author Share Posted January 28, 2006 10 grade, sitting in study hall, one of the librarians came over and told us it happened. So we all went over to watch the tv. Next period was French class, before class started the teacher went over to see it for herself. One other person in the class thought I was fooling him when I told him about it. I told him to go across the hall to see it for himself. 586576[/snapback] that story sounds errily familiar to my 9/11 "where were you" story... except mine was at RIT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 RIP for them, and also for these souls... "The Apollo 1 mission was scheduled to have been launched on February 21, 1967, with astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee onboard. This would have been the first manned Apollo mission; one in a series of missions designed to get an American to the moon by the end of the 70's. However, on January 27, 1967, during a preflight test on the launch pad, tragedy struck. A fire swept through the Command Module (CM) which killed all three astronauts. What follows is an account of the events that occured before, during and after the fire." http://www.engineering.com/content/Content...tentId=41009003 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodBye Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 I was in eight grade. Still remember it clearly. Can't belive it was 20 years ago...wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 http://history.nasa.gov/rogersrep/genindex.htm "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 I was five at the time and always wanted to be an astronaut. Needless to say, my dreams changed after that day (plus I didn't considered all the schooling you need to do as well ). RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C.Biscuit97 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 that story sounds errily familiar to my 9/11 "where were you" story... except mine was at RIT. 586577[/snapback] 9/11 was my 21 st birthday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLO Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 9/11 was my 21 st birthday 586764[/snapback] It was my 32nd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linksfiend Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Some interesting reading. 7 myths about the Challenger Disaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted January 30, 2006 Share Posted January 30, 2006 Some interesting reading. 7 myths about the Challenger Disaster 588482[/snapback] I would slightly amend Myth #6, that the shuttle was launched due to political pressure. I would agree with it being a myth for the most part, but would add the comment that the launch was a direct result of pressure to ensure that NASA's budgetary concerns for the coming years would be met by the Feds. Not exactly political pressure, but NASA was definitely under the gun, as thier "wonder craft" was proving by this time to be exponentially more costly (resulting in about 1/4th the amount of yearly flights) than projected. Remember, the original plans for the shuttle was to have only a craft capable of sending astronauts into orbit and back. The large payload the current flying turkey has is directly related to pressure added by the USAF. Without airforce support, the shuttle would never have been green-lighted by tricky Dick in the first place. It was the result of trying to be all things to all persons that doomed the shuttle from the drawing table. As an interesting little side-factoid, it is totally true that no member of any organization directly responsible for bullying the engineers into allowing the flight was ever disciplined in any way. In fact, most were promoted to higher positions. This would include the NASA flight directorship, as well as those higher-ups from Morton Thiokol. Go fig.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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