Challenger shuttle disaster

[strmrdr]

Hard to believe it was 20 years ago.

I was sitting at my desk in high school photography class watching it on a satellite feed when it happened.
The school had a local company donate the equipment and hooked it into the cctv system at the school.
The teacher ran and told another teacher and pretty soon we had about 90 students and 3 teachers crammed into a small class room watching the replays.

They are heros of our time may they always be honored for their sacrifice for exploration. R.I.P.

 

[monarch64]

I can''t believe it''s been 20 years! I remember being in school in the cafeteria for some reason, although it was before lunch when we heard the news. I was in first grade. I remember everyone in my class being really upset, even though we really didn''t comprehend how bad the situation was. We related more to the fact that Christa McAuliffe was a teacher, just like our teacher, and that she wouldn''t get to see her students anymore. It was just awful. Another teacher from our school had submitted his name to try to be that teacher who traveled on the space shuttle, so that added fuel to the fire as well.

 

[Lorelei]

Yes it was huge news in England too, a real tragedy. Goodness it doesn't seem like 20 years ago.

 

[Momoftwo]

I was 6 months pregnant with my youngest son and driving back from my dr's appt when I heard it on the radio. My DH knows a former shuttle astronaut who flew several times and they all love what they do. The tragedy didn't scare them into discontinuing exploration.

 

[belle]

wow...20 years ago already..

 

[JohnQuixote]

I can't believe it's been that long.

10 years ago the Space Mirror Memorial and the Center for Space Education were dedicated in honor of the Challenger's crew at the Kennedy Space Center. Tomorrow morning there will be a ceremony at the Memorial. I couldn't find that it will be broadcast, but I am sure it will be moving. Anyone who has news please share.

Feb 1 will mark 3 years since Columbia.

 

[moon river]

I heard it on the news at the exact time my then 9 month old daughter took her 1st steps.

 

[strmrdr]

got so involved in thinking about it that I forgot to post a link.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11031097/

 

[MrsFrk]

I was in the 5th grade, and we too were riveted to the TV, watching it unfold.
We were in shock, until one of my classmates said in a small voice "Are they all dead?"
Our teacher burst into tears, and we all followed.
A sad, sad, day.

 

[FireGoddess]

I am floored!!! 20 years! Then again, I can recall watching it on tv...in grade school.

 

[cymbrie]

I too was in 5th grade, it was in fact our class project for the year being that there was a teacher on-board. It was probably the most horrific day our 9-10 year old lives.

 

[fire&ice]

I remember it like it was yesterday. I love our space program & always watch the lift offs. I had the T.V. on in my office. I was working on a code issue with a fireman. We were both speechless.

 

[MINE!!]

WOW!!! 20 years... I was in school when it happened.. the whole place just shut down. I heard people whispering about ''loss of inocence'' and such. I was heartbroken.. I think everyone was.

 

[partgypsy]

I was in college walking to the cafeteria with a couple friends. there was a lounge next to the cafeteria and the shuttle was taking off so we paused to watch it on tv. I remember the announcers didn''t even know what to say, I think one said, "an obvious malfunction". More and more people started coming into the lounge to watch what was happening. I remember I kept reliving it, wondering if they knew what was going on. I hoped it happened so fast there was no suffering, fear involved.

 

[sevens one]

Omg! 20 years.
That was the day I found out I was pregnant with my oldest baby. awwwww I can''t believe it.

 

[hoorray]

Wow... 20 years.

I'll never forget the day. I worked for Hughes Aircraft at the time, and we had an astronaut onboard. A lady in my group let out a cry when her husband called to tell her. They were good friends with him. We were all dumbfounded and spent the rest of the day numb watching the news. Hermosa Beach put up a memorial on the beach Strand dedicated to the crew shortly afterwards.

It was a true loss...

 

[glaucomflecken]

WOW, 20 years already. I remember it too like it was yesterday. For whatever reason the whole school was watching it on TV in their classrooms, but we 4th graders must have been bad because we weren''t. I remember the principal coming in the classroom and telling us that there was an accident with the "rocket ship that had the teacher on it".

I was just obsessed with what happened because my dream from 4 years old and up was to become an astronaut (on my 5th birthday, I received an album of astronomy and memorized the whole thing). My parents took me to all the space centers and they were going to sign me up for space camp the following year. I was so freaked out by what happened with the Challenger that I changed my life plans.

I hope their families are doing well.

 

[Kaleigh]

I was at work. I''ll never forget that day. So tragic.

 

[crafftygrrl]

Yikes,

Has it been 20 years.

I was at work when I heard. It was my first job as a graphic deisgner. I remember thinking how tragic, not only for the astronauts involved and their families, but for the millions of schoolchildren who watched this unfold on live TV.

It was such a sad day.

 

[aphisiglovessae]

Wow, twenty years! I think I was sitting in first grade when it happened and I think we watched the news on T.V. about it (school for military kids, so we got a few things that the locals didn't have). I don't even think I really understood what had happened. I just knew it was bad and everyone was really sad about it. We weren't even living in the US at the time (we were in the Philipines). My father was heartbroken.

 

[Jelly]

One of our teachers at our elementary school applied to be an astronaut on that mission. I remember our principal came in and announced the disaster. We were all in shock.

I vividly remember watching the newscast of Christa McAuliffe''s students crying, watching the news. So sad...it''s stuck with me all these years.

 

[diamondseeker2006]

It was so very sad. I was a teacher and was very interested in it. Yet as a mother of a baby and a 3 year old at the time, I couldn''t imagine how Christa M. left her own little children for like 4 months to do that training. And that was what broke my heart..her husband and children made such a great sacrifice in letting her go. And it was equally tragic for all the families, of course. (How can 20 years have passed!?)

 

[AChiOAlumna]

Has it really been 20 years already?! Wow...

I was in my senior AP English class, when a cheerleader came into the room late for class. Tears were streaming down her face as she announced that the Challenger had exploded. We were in complete shock and there was no TV in our classroom to turn on...

 

[moon river]

Date: 1/27/2006 5:33:48 PM
Author: sevens one
Omg! 20 years.
That was the day I found out I was pregnant with my oldest baby. awwwww I can''t believe it.

Wow sevens, we both had good things happen to us on that day. It makes my daughter sad to associate her 1st steps w/such a sad thing.