MailGuru
Well-known member
Thirty years ago today, January 28, 1986 the space shuttle Challenger exploded, during launch, killing all seven crew members:
Mission Specialist Ellison S. Onizuka
Teacher-in-Space participant Sharon Christa McAuliffe
Payload Specialist Greg Jarvis
Mission Specialist Judy Resnick
Pilot Mike Smith
Commander Dick Scobee
Mission Specialist Ron McNair
My rememberance of that day:
I was doing some contract computer programming for a metal bellows manufacturing company in Ormond Beach, FL that, among other things, manufactured some of the components that were being used by NASA on the space shuttle program. As was the custom of that company, anytime there was a shuttle launch, the entire 150-employee company would shut down, gather out on the south lawn of the manufacturing plant, and watch the launch. After which there would be loud cheers, pats on the back, and, sometimes, even a champaign toast as they would watch the awesome rocket boosters thrust the shuttle into outer space with a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that their hard work and expert craftsmanship created some of the parts that would go with it.
But, there would be no celebration on this day. A little over a minute into the flight, there was dead silence as we witnessed the explosion. At first, there was uncertainty and disbelief of what had just happened. We had watched many shuttle launches before, but, it didn't look at all like this one. Soon, the tradegy had become evident. A sad day.
My heart goes out to the crew and their families as we remember this day.
-Best
MailGuru
Mission Specialist Ellison S. Onizuka
Teacher-in-Space participant Sharon Christa McAuliffe
Payload Specialist Greg Jarvis
Mission Specialist Judy Resnick
Pilot Mike Smith
Commander Dick Scobee
Mission Specialist Ron McNair
My rememberance of that day:
I was doing some contract computer programming for a metal bellows manufacturing company in Ormond Beach, FL that, among other things, manufactured some of the components that were being used by NASA on the space shuttle program. As was the custom of that company, anytime there was a shuttle launch, the entire 150-employee company would shut down, gather out on the south lawn of the manufacturing plant, and watch the launch. After which there would be loud cheers, pats on the back, and, sometimes, even a champaign toast as they would watch the awesome rocket boosters thrust the shuttle into outer space with a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that their hard work and expert craftsmanship created some of the parts that would go with it.
But, there would be no celebration on this day. A little over a minute into the flight, there was dead silence as we witnessed the explosion. At first, there was uncertainty and disbelief of what had just happened. We had watched many shuttle launches before, but, it didn't look at all like this one. Soon, the tradegy had become evident. A sad day.
My heart goes out to the crew and their families as we remember this day.
-Best
MailGuru
