1/28/86 The Challenger

I wasn't born yet

That being said, the accident was talked about a lot in science classes when I was in school, and the footage of the break up, watching fellow Americans loose their life in the pursuit of furthering knowledge, sends chills down my spine similar to 9/11.

May we remember those we lost, their sacrifice, and most importantly their aspirations for our future...

[bruceolee]

Growing up in South Florida I remember that day all too well. Before they unfairly retired the space shuttle fleet I remember at each launch I watched at Kennedy space center or watched from home that every time I heard "Roll on throttle up" It would always come back to haunt me that that's the exact moment Challenger went down. I was at school when it happened and seeing my teachers crying and holding each other as they lost one of their own that day. There are just certain days in your life that will impact you in such a way that you'll be able to recall it with perfect, crystal clear, sharp remembrance and this was one of those days for me. Also anyone living in south Florida at the time will be able to tell you how cold it was that day and the night before. We don't get too many heavy freezes down here like that so it's easy to recall something like that as well. God bless the men and women who died that day as well as the families who lost their whole worlds collectively.

Space exploration is a dangerous game and we should always remember that. Every launch is a controlled explosion just dying reach critical mass so it's a wondrous age that we can ride a bomb into space.

[bruceolee]

Originally Posted by Robulous78

I wasn't born yet

That being said, the accident was talked about a lot in science classes when I was in school, and the footage of the break up, watching fellow Americans loose their life in the pursuit of furthering knowledge, sends chills down my spine similar to 9/11.

May we remember those we lost, their sacrifice, and most importantly their aspirations for our future...

The other thing that chilled me was when I heard that many of the astronauts had water in their lungs which meant they drowned. I don't know how that's possible but it's hard to dispute facts.

Originally Posted by bruceolee

The other thing that chilled me was when I heard that many of the astronauts had water in their lungs which meant they drowned. I don't know how that's possible but it's hard to dispute facts.

That part I had not heard of, that is chilling and probably why teachers left it out of class.

Wow.

I had always thought it to have been quick and instantaneous...

[Col. Kurtz]

Originally Posted by Robulous78

That part I had not heard of, that is chilling and probably why teachers left it out of class.

Wow.

I had always thought it to have been quick and instantaneous...

Here you go. Probably not instantaneous. http://youtu.be/uqcd_3daPQ8

I'll never forget. Hanging out in the library in fifth grade. I can't remember why I was there, but there were six of us that saw it. The principal came in and swore us to secrecy not to tell the other students that day. I recall the gravity in his face and that none of us betrayed that promise. He said everyone else should have their parents tell them and explain what happened.

[bruceolee]

Originally Posted by Robulous78

That part I had not heard of, that is chilling and probably why teachers left it out of class.

Wow.

I had always thought it to have been quick and instantaneous...

Yeah, they say because of the altitude that they were all unconscious when they drowned but I could never shake the fact that they could never say with 100% certainty that they weren't conscious.

I also remember fog on the ground for morning recess afterwards. I think the teachers needed a moment to recover themselves so they sent us outside but the fog looked like smoke to us and that really freaked us out at the time. We were kids so we didn't know any better.