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Posted on 01/28/2009 12:00:07 PM PST by patriotgal1787
This day in 1986, the day the Challenger exploded, was one of this Nation's worst days on record. Andrea Shea-King was working the launch as a public affairs announcer. She introduced the crew as they headed for the launch pad. From Andrea's post:
"As they approached the tv cameras, I keyed the mic. Here's my voice describing the astronauts' walkout."
(Excerpt) Read more at thirdwavedave.blogspot.com ...
Dave and I invite you to link over to his site, then follow the trail back to my post. As Dave writes: "Remember the crew and their family in your prayers."
To which I would add: Please also include the brave NASA men and women who kept cool heads while painfully aware that their friends and colleagues were breaking the surly bonds of earth in a heartbreaking moment in space exploration history.
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Pres. Reagan’s address to the nation that night. is the best speech I have ever heard. Masterful job by Peggy Noonan, especially ending with “High Flight”
I remember this vividly as I had been granted access to the National Archives to review the polar diary of Robert E. Peary-—only the second person to see it. I was taking a break from reading about this one explorer’s challenges only to see the deaths of several other explorers.
This is the Challenger Tribute using Reagan’s speech and John Denver’s haunting music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NOKyLgmYn0
Very chilling to watch to this day.
Can anyone put into layman’s words what happened? I tried reading the description on Wikipedia but don’t understand.
The craft itself didn’t blow up, but an o-ring somehow caused damage to the shuttle itself, thereby eventually causing it to disintegrate?
“This day in 1986, the day the Challenger exploded, was one of this Nation’s worst days on record.”
Errrrr, no, it wasn’t. Not a great day for sure but in our history there have been 100s of worse days several of which occures during the civil war. Hyperbole seems to be the meme du jour.
A lovely tribute. Still so very sad.
And yesterday was the anniversary of the Apollo 1 fire.
I’ll never forget that frigid morning for as long as I live. I was just a kid standing with my mother on our front lawn in Titusville, excitedly watching the shuttle rocket into the sky when suddenly it seemed to expand in size several fold. Mission controllers kept their heads, but my mother (who worked at the cape as a secretary off and on) panicked. I was confused as to why the shuttle seemed to be flying in two different directions, I knew it wasn’t supposed to do that, but I was now paying attention to my mom who kept muttering “where are they, why aren’t they getting out of there.” Something dawned on her and she rushed us back inside for fear that there might be toxic chemicals in the air. At that moment I realized that the shuttle had actually blown up. We watched the reaction on NASA TV, which was already on, and my mother kept futilely looking for any sign that the orbiter managed to escape the blast and land. I saw replays of what just happened and realized that I had just watched as 7 people lost their lives right before my eyes. I have had nightmares of the shuttle being destroyed in various ways ever since. Today I say a prayer for the brave souls of those lost, and for their families, as I cannot imagine the loss of a parent’s life cut short.
President Reagans speech afterwards reminds me of how strong of a leader he was. And how he was able to bring this country together after such a loss. ...”to touch the face of God”. Only Reagan could deliver it in such a way.
I was in New England at the time and, driving home late the night before, listened to an extended interview with Christa McAuliffe. My impression was “What a great teacher and she’s so right for the mission” (although some may question the rightness of the mission - that’s a whole different argument). What wonderful lessons would come down from orbit and encourage the next generation of scientists and engineers. I shudder to think of all the classrooms full of children watching live that day and the impressions that would leave.
I’ll never forget that day. I was doing housework, and saw the Challenger take off. I took a break to stand and watch it, and saw it break up.
It was such a shock. I watched all day. and heard President Reagan’s speech that night, heard the poem “High Flight” and read the story of that poem’s author...
Hard to believe it was 23 years ago.
I stepped out of CENTCOM HQ in Tampa to watch the flight from the parking lot, as we could watch the contrails of space launches
It was obvious something was terribly wrong. Everyone was subdued all day, as if we had all lost someone we knew.
I remember it to this day
This video shows the faces of Christa McCauliffe’s parents at the moment
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gweTH81YZc4&feature=PlayList&p=A692E0899CA07554&index=37&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL
We were watching on a small TV in our office on Bragg. I still remember, “There has been an anomaly,” after the explosion. Then a reporter piped up stupidly speculating on whether anyone had survived.
One can argue endlessly about the criteria for "worst days" and never agree. Civil war battles were horrific and the loss of life certainly eclipses the Challenger incident. But they didn't play out on live TV to a national audience. Losses in war, no matter how horrific, are expected and have a context. The Challenger Incident qualifies as some sort of "worst" because of the absolute surprise, the shock value, the undercutting of an American triumph that led us to - wrongly - think that space flight was routine.
Freezing temps caused rubber-like o-rings to shrink and harden, preventing them from “seating”, thus allowing propellant gas to escape and burst through casing. Resulting in explosion. Best explanation I can give you quickly — anyone else want to try?
Andrea
I was the class instructor for a group of people that had flown in from all over the country. I was reeling from the death of my father the day before but I couldn’t cancel the class. We heard the news when we broke for lunch. The two events were then forever linked. My family lived in Cocoa Beach during the early years of the space program so my father and I always had a love for NASA. It truly was a devastating day.
I was in Junior High, just got out of gym class. Was putting on my pants when the principal came on the intercom and gave the school the news.
Spent the rest of the day watching the news in school and the video leading up to the explosion over and over.
I remember that day well. That was the first launch off pad 39B. We had spent the 5 years prior designing the modifications to pad B for the Shuttle.
I was standing just outside the Launch Control Center, on the stairway between the LCC and the VAB taking pictures, and had taken my last picture moments before the explosion.
Thanks for sharing, that was indeed a sad day for America.
God bless all the astronauts, they are brave souls.
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