This is the 24th anniversary of the Challenger disaster

examiner.com ^ | January 28 | Jennifer Ellis May

[free1977free]

Where were you on January 28th, 1986? Were you in a classroom watching the first teacher go into space? Do you remember how you felt when you saw the Challenger explode soon after it left the earth?

CNN reports that about 17% of Americans were watching when the disaster occurred. One hour later, 85% had heard the news. It is estimated that 48% of 9-13 year-olds were watching.

Teacher Christa Macauliffe was supposed to be the first teacher in space, but she never made it. She died in the explosion along with the six astronauts accompanying her.

Most of today's moms are old enough to remember this event. Today is a good day to share this historical story with your children. It's also a good way to share an emotional story from your own childhood.

Our heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe.

[PalmettoMason]

I was a Drill Sergeant at Ft. Leonard Wood Mo. We had taken our company on a 15 mile road march that morning, and I was home for a shower and to "break starch" on a fresh uniform before going back for the training day. Was sitting there watching the launch while lacing my boots when it all went wrong.

Thank God we had Ronald Reagan for the time we did.

[Atlas Sneezed]

There was a video of the crew compartment coming out of the gas cloud virtually intact and rumors had it the crew survived till impact. A sad day indeed.

---

I have spoken personally with a NASA official who has heard the post-explosion tapes. They (at least some) were alive until they hit the water.

[tanuki]

I was recording the CBS morning show that day. I’ll never forget, I saw the morning newspaper headlines and went into shock. That shock was doubled later that night, when I played the tape and realized I had taped the whole event. I turned the tape off-I still can’t watch the whole thing.

[Alberta's Child]

I'm as big a fan of Reagan as anyone, but I've also had people tell me something that I suspected for a long time . . . that NASA launched the Challenger that morning under pressure from the Reagan Administration -- because they wanted to get that teacher up in space before the State of the Union address the following week.

[SunkenCiv]

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[PghBaldy]

Her daughter’s life wasn’t thrown away.

[chris_bdba]

I was sitting here in this very room watching the launch while pondering where we should have our reception since we were married that May in 1986.

[Bad Jack Bauer]

I still ride. Gonna ride until I can’t.

[dennisw]

Where were you on January 28th, 1986?............

At the time I was still fairly liberal but I remember being irritated by weeks of TV propaganda about the first female school teacher in outer space. The impression from TV was a happy go lucky crew. It was all a big lark. No big deal going up in space

The vehicle exploded and they all fell to earth and ocean.
Don’t treat going into the cosmos as a big joke. I felt (1986) there should have been more awe about going up into God’s creation and I was and am not that religious

[dennisw]

yeow!