20th Anniversary of Challenger Loss

[SteveR]

January 28, 1986, the Challenger space craft was lost shortly after takeoff.

To date there have been 17 astronauts lost in the US space program. I terrible price to pay but one each one of them was willing to pay to advance the science of space flight.

My hat is off to each and every person connected with the Space program over the past 40+ years.

 

[grumpy]

I was a NASA employee at the time and was attending a project review meeting at one of our contractor's in Boulder, Colo. A secretary came into the conference room and turned on the TV. Despite all of us knowing, intellectually, the inherent risks of spaceflight we were, nevertheless, quite shocked and saddened. It was an event, like the JFK assassination, which we all remember vividly. Its hard to believe it has been 20 years.

Grumpy

 

[Rustic23]

I was sitting No. 1 for the runway at Patrick AFB, FL. It was really obvious something was dreadfully wrong.

 

[unclemick]

I was watching it live on lunch break on a hallway tv monitor at the NASA Michoud Facility - when I went back to the 'bullpen' (pre cubicle days) at first many didn't believe me. There were four or five of us Engineers watching it live - took a few seconds to resister - until someone said that's not a normal launch!

I remember it vividly to this day.

 

[Cut-Throat]

I was in a Hotel Room in Syracuse N.Y. on Business. One of the reasons that I remember it so vividly is that I was trying to call home and there was no answer. When I arrived home the next day, I found the house was empty of furniture as well as empty bank accounts. My ex had planned an ambush!

Best thing she ever did - It cost me Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars, but was worth every penny.

Cut-Throat - Now Happily married to much younger, better looking and working woman for 18 years 8)

 

[justin]

I was in kindergarten. I hardly remember it. I was really into space shuttles at the time, but I guess I wasn't able to comprehend what the Challenger explosion meant at the time.

 

[Jarhead*]

I was busy helping unload furniture and personal belongings for a gal that I met while on a business trip to Minn./St.Paul area. She showed me the door a few days later when I mentioned that I was a fly-fishing fanatic.

 

[Eagle43]

I was working at Mega-Corp. Had just returned to the office when I was told. I didn't believe it had happened. Now, I can't believe it has been 20 years.

 

[Martha]

I was busy helping unload furniture and personal belongings for a gal that I met while on a business trip to Minn./St.Paul area. She showed me the door a few days later when I mentioned that I was a fly-fishing fanatic.

Thanks for helping me move!

 

[Mr._johngalt]

I was working at Mega-Corp.  Had just returned to the office when I was told. I didn't believe it had happened.  Now, I can't believe it has been 20 years. 

It was a quick 20 years for sure.  I remember it more for a personal
disaster.  A friend of mine died in a plane crash the same week.
Oddly, he founded the company that coaxed me out of semiretirement
in 1994, which is how I ended up in Texas, which is why we bought there,
which led to our current part time Lone Star State residence.

JG

 

[Outtahere]

(sigh) that is one of those things that sticks in my mind, like when Kennedy was shot or 9/11. I was working a 3rd shift and had left to pick up one of my coworkers. My stupid car radio was broken so I didn't know it had happened, BUT on the way to work we were talking about it and I remember saying " we've been too lucky, I have a bad feeling". We got to work and everyone on the sales floor was huddled around the TV. The rest of the day everyone walked around in shock, several people I worked with had kids that went to her school, it hit very close to home for a lot of them.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Funny how major events like this fix in your head.

I was standing outside a clean room at Bell Labs in new jersey, where they were working on some early vestiges of a voice recognition system intended to replace human operators. I dont even remember which company I was working for but I was probably trying to sell them some networking stuff or figure out some networking problem they had. They had a tv on a wall mount in the corner near the ceiling running the news all day and all of a sudden everyone stopped talking and their heads swiveled up to the tv.

 

[Dawg52]

I was at an IRS office trying to straighten out something they screwed up on our company taxes. I remember it just like yesterday.

 

[Jarhead*]

I had to read this one twice!  - Good One! 

I was beginning to wonder whether you'd pick up on this or not. You sure had some heavy furniture. 8)

 

[REWahoo]

You sure had some heavy furniture. 8)

...

 

[HFWR]

Was on lunch break at the Miner's Pick, having buffalo wings. Broke my heart...

 

[Mr._johngalt]

It was a quick 20 years for sure.  I remember it more for a personal
disaster.  A friend of mine died in a plane crash the same week.
Oddly, he founded the company that coaxed me out of semiretirement
in 1994, which is how I ended up in Texas, which is why we bought there,
which led to our current part time Lone Star State residence.

JG

I am posting this for no particular reason other than as a
postscript to the above post. Yesterday I drove into Dallas
and had lunch with the guy who founded the company I was
sent to Dallas to run in 1994. I had not seen nor spoken
to him since I left in June, 1998. Since then his company was
acquired (twice) and he was pushed out. He then founded a
new company with his 2 sons and it appears to be doing very well (same business he was in before). The interesting part
is that he is about 66 or 67 and since I saw him he developed
diabetes, acquired a rare lung infection which put him in
the hospital and then on oxygen. He also survived prostate
cancer and he has a pacemaker. No plans to retire.
Draw your own conclusions.

JG

 

[Nords]

OK, now this may get me banned from the forum, but the stuffed beaver asked that I post this terrible joke for him.

I agree with you and the beaver on all counts. I think it's time to send that post to the "Delete" button.

 

[yelnad]

I was in 6th grade and my teacher was called out of the classroom. He came back in tears. Later on he told us that he had applied to be the teacher on the shuttle.