Challenger/Columbia

[JB]

Twenty years ago this morning I took my Robotics class to the parking lot of Total Technical Institute in Ft. Lauderdale to watch the Challenger launch. Though it was 200 miles south of Cape Kennedy we could see launches after they climbed maybe 5,000'. They seemed quite close.<br /><br />We stood there and watched her blow up. <br /><br />Three years, less three days, ago I stood on my back porch at The Hideout to watch Columbia re-enter.<br /><br />I stood there and watched her burn up. <br /><br />Two very sad days. Fourteen extraordinary people. I wonder if any other person was eyewitness to both tragedies.

 

[KaGee]

Re: Challenger/Columbia

You beat me to it JB. It's hard to believe it's been 20 years. And already 3 years since Columbia!<br /><br />That had to be some experience for you and your students. Can't imagine what that was like JB.<br /><br />I, like many thousands of others was watching Fox and Friends on a Saturday morning when they switched to the live feeds for Columbia's re-entry. No one had a clue what was about to happen. It was like watching a Sci-Fi show. You kept waiting for the bird to drop through the clouds. But, nothing. It was so sad. The whole thing seemed so surreal.

 

[heycods]

Re: Challenger/Columbia

Seems like I read something the other day about a teacher going up adain?

 

[NOSLEEP]

Re: Challenger/Columbia

I dont think anyone watching those men and women<br />doing what they dreamed will ever forget.

 

[QC]

Re: Challenger/Columbia

 

[RPJS]

Re: Challenger/Columbia

20 years ago!! it sure doesn't seem that long.<br />I remember vividly the pictures on the TV news, a tragic accident.<br /><br />If you were to have asked me about Columbia I would have said it happend about 18mths ago, I can remember thinking to myself that the camera man was looking the wrong way and then on seeing the footage of her burning up I found it hard to belive that somthing like that could happen.

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Challenger/Columbia

I remember Challenger like it was yesterday. They interrupted my classes at the middle school to show us the news.<br />I called my grandfather who lives about 100 west of the Cape, and he was outside watching it when it happened. He watched them all go up. Of course he couldn't hear anything, but he said he was sick when he saw the smoke clouds going all the wrong ways. <br />I am still stunned that Columbia broke apart.

 

[Kenneth Brown]

Re: Challenger/Columbia

I would have never thought it was 20 years. I was in the 6th grade in English class. All of the classrooms had the tv's on to show Chrystal Macullif go into space. Lots of wet eyes, mine are right now thinking about it.

 

[JB]

Re: Challenger/Columbia

We had a few wet checks as we realized what had happened to Challenger, too. I wept copiously as Columbia burned up.<br /><br />Accidents? I don't think so. In both cases there were clues of potential catastrophe and in both cases decisions were made to accept the risk. Those decisions were not made by crew. I don't know what could have been done to rescue the crew of Columbia after the break-up of the foam on the fuel tank, but it is very clear that some people tried to prevent the Challenger launch.<br /><br />Callous as it may seem, I am reminded of a line by the comedian, Brother Dave Gardner: "Their aint no such thing as an accident. There is just premeditated carelessness."

 

[magster65]

Re: Challenger/Columbia

They all knew the risks involved and chose to fly to the heavens. Those people lost in those tragic events were/are heroes whoes names and faces will never be forgotten... all mankind will eventually have to travel to the stars and those astronauts helped pave the way.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Challenger/Columbia

i was in elementary school during the challenger explosion- our entire student body had gathered in the auditorium and they had brought 30 TVs in for all of us to watch. it was a difficult situation to say the least.