25 Years Ago

[Ottawan]

When I went into work on Friday I mentioned to my co-workers that it was the 25th anniversary of the Challenger explosion. My boss told me that at that time he was a high school student in Colorado Springs, his dad being RCAF on exchange with the USAF, turns out his high school science teacher was number three behind Christa McAuliffe & Barbara Morgan for the "Teacher in Space" program.

I was 33 years old at that time and I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I watched the launch on CNN and was just as devastated as all those who watched it live.

I am old enough to remember the first Kennedy assination and the Apollo 1 fire'

I'm not sure where I am going here, but I just wanted to point out that these events will always be indelibly carved into my memories.

I was just wondering where our members were when events like these occurred. The Kennedy assassinations, the loss of the crew of Apollo 1, Challenger, Columbia . . . . .

Yikes, I'm getting old!!!

[LunarOrbit]

I was only 10 years old at the time (sorry Bill!), but I still remember the Challenger accident very clearly.

My friend and I were walking home from school for our lunch when the school crossing guard told us what had happened (it's probably a good thing that she broke the news to us rather than seeing it happen live on TV). I guess we didn't quite believe her though, because we both raced home to see the news for ourselves. On the way back to school after lunch it was all we could talk about.

It was absolutely horrible news. I was a huge "space geek" even back then and I remember following the Teacher in Space news, so seeing it end this way was shocking. I think it was the first time I had ever been so devastated by anything. I remember Reagan's address to the nation and the memorial services, and the search for debris in the ocean.

For Columbia, I was getting ready for work and decided to watch the landing on NASA TV. I turned it on right before someone in Mission Control said something about "contingency plans" and I didn't like the sound of that at all. It wasn't long before I realized Columbia was late landing, and then they showed the debris trail over Texas and that's when I knew they were gone. It was no fun at work that day, that's for sure.

[spacecat27]

Well guys- this weekend marks FORTY YEARS since the Apollo 14 launch- meaning 40 years since the weekend I hung out with Jacques Cousteau at KSC.

I look around and wonder where the time has gone.... and I look around and see a world absolutely nothing like the 'future' I imagined back then.

[Satanic Mechanic]

I was also ten when I saw Challenger.  I was sick that day from the previous weekend Boy Scout "Freeze-a-ree" (camping in below 0 weather).  I just couldn't believe it.
I remembered Columbia too.  I got up that Saturday morning to watch the landing.  I thought the loss of signal was normal but when the radar not detecting the shuttle and it was past due to land at KSC, I knew something was wrong.

SM

[Ottawan]

Spacecat . . . I always find myself wondering where the time went. Give these younger guys another 20 years and they will understand!

[LunarOrbit]

Oh, I'm already wondering that now, Bill. I realized the other day that I've known my best friend for almost 30 years, and that I graduated high school over 16 years ago. I also realized that I've been a licensed driver for longer than I had to wait to become old enough to drive (which seemed like forever back then).

[surlalune]

Yipes! I didn't realise it had been that long!

[Johno]

I was in the car on my way to school.  The first thing I heard was the radio host (Mike Carlton) saying "And we'll have more on the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in just a moment."

I asked Dad "What's that about?"

He seemed mystified. 

The three of us - Dad, me, my younger brother - all listened in silence as the news told the story.

I think I went through one of my early experiences of grief that day.  Challenger wasn't a person, and I knew none of the Astronauts - but still I felt the pain of loss personally.

[LunarOrbit]

Before the accident my favourite space shuttle was Challenger. I don't know why, since they were all almost identical, but Challenger seemed like the "leader" or "big brother" of the fleet. I guess that is kind of strange, but I was just a kid. So at the time I felt like the loss of Challenger was like the loss of a person, just like one of the astronauts.