Posted on 01/27/2006 9:29:40 AM PST by John W
HOUSTON - Twenty years ago, millions of television viewers were horrified to witness the live broadcast of the space shuttle Challenger exploding 73 seconds into flight, ending the lives of the seven astronauts on board. And they were equally horrified to learn in the aftermath of the disaster that the faulty design had been chosen by NASA to satisfy powerful politicians who had demanded the mission be launched, even under unsafe conditions. Meanwhile, a major factor in the disaster was that NASA had been ordered to use a weaker sealant for environmental reasons. Finally, NASA consoled itself and the nation with the realization that all frontiers are dangerous and to a certain extent, such a disaster should be accepted as inevitable.
At least, that seems to be how many people remember it, in whole or in part. That’s how the story of the Challenger is often retold, in oral tradition and broadcast news, in public speeches and in private conversations and all around the Internet. But spaceflight historians believe that each element of the opening paragraph is factually untrue or at best extremely dubious. They are myths, undeserving of popular belief and unworthy of being repeated at every anniversary of the disaster.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Oops, Thanks, you are correct. I should have followed the link and read the complete story.
You're right about this. I remember very clearly watching the news on the night PRIOR to the launch. The news-head (I don't recall who) intoned solemnly, "NASA again delayed the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger today, raising questions about whether NASA can ever launch a Shuttle on-time."
Yep and I was one of them. Totally horrifying to an 11 year old.
I'll never forget that day. Watched it live at the office with some young computer programmers. When it blew up, they turned to me and said, "Do you think they're alive?" and I said, "You better hope not." Sad day. God rest their souls.
Address to the nation on the Challenger disaster
Oval Office
January 28, 1986
A few hours after the disaster, this speech was delivered to the American people via nationwide radio and television. 649 words
Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.
Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle; but they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.
For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.
We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.
And I want to say something to the school children of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.
I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.
I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it."
There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.
The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."
You presume wrong. Not all were so soft spoken on the COULD HAPPEN.
There were several engineers who said that it WOULD happen.
Why would they establish a minimum operating temperature if it wasn't entirely foreseen that it would fail below that temperature?
I am in a technical field and that is why I used the example of running your car without oil. It is entirely predictable what would happen to your engine.
It is also entirely predictable that something that relies on its flexibility for a proper seal, would not make the seal if it wasn't flexible.
The fact that the "Doctor of Education" didn't know the disaster he was asking for, does not make it any less predictable.
There may well be others who are not aware of the predictable result. That also does not make his decision any less reprehensible.
I watched it happen on a TV set in my 6th grade class.
On the local NBC affiliate news last night(Panama City Beach, Fl), Story Musgrave, a former astronaut (6 or 7 shuttle flights to his credit), commented that the Challenger astronauts did not die in the explosion and that they were alive until their capsule hit the water. He also said there were four breathing apparatus which were found in the open position. The inference was that four of the astronauts "may" have survived the water impact but one might also infer that these apparatus were being readied for use before impact. Musgrave would not provide any more details. Apologies to Mr. Musgrave if I've mis-interpreted his remarks.
"It was avoidable."
Richard Feynman:
"...for a few seconds at least and more seconds than that, there is
no resilience in this particular material when it is at a temperature
of 32 degrees.
I believe that has some significance to our problem."
http://www-scf.usc.edu/~kallos/feynman.htm
scroll down to "The Challenger Destruction" for just about the clearest
testimony ever given in a high-profile investigation.
On this Sat. evening, the National Geographic Channel will re-broadcast "Challenger: The Untold Story" at 8 and 11. I watched this last Monday and found it very informative. According to this show, the author of this article is right on the money with his last serntence in Myth #4
ditto. 3d grade, we had cnn on. i remember one teacher stunned in horror watching it, the other two fighting over whether or not to turn it off.
I watched the shuttle LIVE and without CNN.
If the video I saw was a taped delay then the network should be sued for false advertising cus it had the little "LIVE" caption on the bottom of the screen.
A terrible day none the less.
Moving at the time - still moving today.
I think they may mean the foam insulation that comes off now and caused the last crash.
The foam was originally made using Freon. Since Freon is now not Politically Correct, they had to stop using it.
The inferior foam insulation breaks off and made a hole in the wing.
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