My father was a solid rocket motor propulsion engineer for NASA and his job became very complicated after this explosion. In short order he was assigned to a investigative committee and spent the next three or four months in Sunnyvale, California.
I remember the day of the explosion. During my last year of nursing school I took a community health rotation. On this particular day I was at a clinic as part of this class. At the time of the launch we had gathered in the waiting room of the clinic to watch on the TV. At that time the launches were televised on every channel and everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. I was so proud of my father and all of the multitude of others that helped to get that enormously complicated machine off the launch pad and hurling toward space. That pride was quickly replaced with horror as that beautiful and patriotic moment turned tragic as the shuttle just dissapeared in a huge plume of smoke.
I haven't been able to watch another launch without thinking of this day.
*This picture was downloaded from a Google image search.
*This picture was downloaded from a Google image search.
The following comments were copied over from my Facebook page where I asked where you were when the Challenger explosion happened:
ReplyDeleteCindy Batt Chitwood - Rocking my 3 week old baby.
Kerry Franklin Whittaker - I was actually there, watching the launch. It is still as clear as day in my mind...got some great (though unfortunate) photos.
Heidi M. Pahl - Sitting in a science class, had a TV 9 in the classroom so we got to watch it
LeAnn Shady Reid - I was home from college. My Mom had made lunch for a group of my friends in the BSC Concert Choir who had come to Huntsville to perform. We were watching TV when it happened. Such a sad day.
Jean Snowden - I was working for a contractor supporting NASA in building 4471. I had a job with a tight deadline (no computers then) and I stayed at my drawing board while my coworkers went out in the hall to watch the launch. They returned, quiet and wh...ite as ghosts.
I asked how the launch went, and Richard replied, "It blew up." I knew he was telling me the literal truth, but I was incredulous and really had no words. I blurted out, "You're kidding!" Richard's voice cracked as he shouted "I wouldn't kid about something like that!" and ran out of the room.
Of course, I got to see it played over and over in the days following. I regret that I didn't take the few minutes it would have taken to watch it with my coworkers.
I am again working for a company in support of NASA, directly for Shuttle. I never miss a launch, nor a landing.
Valorie Thayn Marietti - I was in my high school english class. My little brother was home sick, and today is his 39th birthday. So he turned 14 on that day.
Maureen Ondocsin Phillips - I was just getting to work at Peck & Peck at Madison Square Mall. I heard it on the car radio.
Houston Hodges - In our 11th floor apartment on Albany Hill in El Cerrito, Cal, just getting ready to go to work at the San Francisco Presbytery office.
Rachel Watson - I was at school. We were in an "Astronaut" club started by our science teacher. I remember that it was the first launch I had ever seen so I didn't know anything had gone wrong right away.
Stephanie Caldwell - I was in kindergarten... I donn' 'member...
Debra Rankin Palmer - Cleaning our apartment while our 3 year old played in his room. What a shock. I called my husband first, then my mom to see if she had heard from my dad who was payload ops director for Spacelab. What a frightening and sad day. I remember we... all drove with our headlights on in memory of the lives we lost. It was very personal for those of us who grew up
in the Rocket City with parents who worked for
NASA.
Kim Springer Goodloe - I was heading to my college class, don't remember which one now, but I saw the news report on t.v. as I was heading out. It was such a sad day. I felt so much for the families and friends who were looking on as they lost loved ones.
Jama Blair Nickles - Driving down a country road in Germany very pregnant with Erin. What a sad day that was.
ReplyDeleteAndrea Oyen Batt - I was with a group of people at Applebee's in Mobile after taking a very hard test while in PT school. It was etched in memory
Vance George - doing Thermodynamics Homework at home.
ReplyDeleteBrigiete Sperr Carey - In science or math class (can't remember which because I had same teacher for both) in high school and the school clown that worked in the office came in very straight faced and and told us the news. It took him almost five minutes to convince us it was the truth. For the next month we had a moment of silence every day at the time of the accident (and this was when they were starting to try and take prayer out of schools in Los Angeles).
Roy Allen Jenkins Jr - I was in Orlando for Navy Nuclear Power School. I was outside and watched the launch. There were many people there, but most did not understand that something was wrong. I immediately realized what had happened. Our instructor later camed into the classroom to inform us and allowed us to see the news broadcast on TV.
Kathy Geise - Anne, I, like you was in a Emergency Department Clinical rotation. I was working with a patient and the launch was on TV. My patient and were both stunned and teary for the rest of the day.
Pam Hicks Ingle - I had just sat down in the den to feed my 7 day old baby girl. MOm was there helping me, she walked thru the den and I asked her to turn the TV on, they would be launching soon. Less than 10 minutes later, it was all over. I cried off and on all day. Every time I looked at the face of my newborn baby all I could think of was the families of those lost.