Topic: 20th Anniversary of Challenger

[Anthony Scott]

As you go through the rest of this day, pause a moment to reflect where exactly you were when Challenger went up in flames and smoke, taking her brave crew with her.

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/sts51l.html

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/dor_front/index.html NASA Remembers

I was home from school that day, suffering from a bad cold. I recall getting up and turning the TV on just in time to catch the launch.
The sight of the shuttle blowing up was a shock, as much as 9/11 was.

Never forget either Challenger or flight 93. They showed the true American spirit.

Semper Fi, Carry On

[Father Ted]

As you go through the rest of this day, pause a moment to reflect where exactly you were when Challenger went up in flames and smoke, taking her brave crew with her.

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/sts51l.html

http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/dor_front/index.html NASA Remembers

I was home from school that day, suffering from a bad cold. I recall getting up and turning the TV on just in time to catch the launch.
The sight of the shuttle blowing up was a shock, as much as 9/11 was.

Never forget either Challenger or flight 93. They showed the true American spirit.

Semper Fi, Carry On

Believe it or not, I was home sick that day too. I'll never forget the sight on TV. What's more gut-wrenching was a sound I heard about 2 years ago. I live in south Louisiana and one morning, I heard what sounded like a large box of gravel being dragged across cement. At first I thought it was some neighbor doing a Saturday morning "Honey do" thing. It wasn't till later that morning that I realized the noise I'd heard was Columbia breaking up.

[Just plain old Punisher]

So, is this the sort of anniversary you celebrate? Or one of those sad things.

Eh, not to disrespect the astronauts, but there are enough things in this world to feel sad about. So unless I get some free cake, I'm really not interested in this particular anniversary.

I suppose setting off fireworks in celebration of this event would be considered bad form right?

[TheJudge]

Freshman year Wold History class was where I was when the school secretary came over the intercom and announced amidst sobs that the shuttle had exploded.


I remember the tears in my eyes at the thought of something so great comgin gto such a tragic end. 

[Just plain old Punisher]

What greatness came from this tragedy?

NASA learned that it should replace cracked O Rings?

[Sirgod]

Had It not had the tragic accident, It's next mission would have been to deploy a sattelite to Pluto years ahead of what we have done now...

I remember watching it, and the teachers Parents where applouding proudly. when It blew up, the Teachers mother had this surprised look on her face, like It was supposed to happen, as If It was part of the engines firing again. Then after about 5 seconds after everyone had stopped clapping, the look on her face... man, That will stay with me forever. I've only seen that footage aired once since then.

Stephen

[Dracho]

I was on patrol at Ft Drum NY.  I'd just walked into the MP station and the Desk Sgt pointed at his little TV and said, "Hey, look at this, I think the space shuttle just blew up".

[Commander La'ra]

I was in my 4th grade classroom when the teacher from the next room came in and announced it.  Then they herded us all into the next room (which had a TV) and we watched the news about it.

I've wondered why they did that, and I'm not really sure they had any real idea of why they were making grade school kids watch seven people get blown to hell, but in retrospect, I'm glad they did.  It was an early wake-up call to mortality.