re: 29 years ago today: Space Shuttle Challenger exploded

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yeah, we all thought the same thing... we just didn't realize how "wrong" it had gone.

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And, it was dumb coincidence that I even saw it. I was 18 and so, I wasn't exactly keeping track of when it was going to launch. I was getting off work and in the parking lot when I saw the trail heading up perfectly fine. So, I stopped for a minute to watch. Then, poof.

I mean, if I walk out 90 second later, it's already happened. 90 second earlier, I'm probably in my car not even noticing it.

I just timed it perfectly to see it happen.

I was at home shipping school that day and was watching it on TV with a friend. My dad, who worked in communications, was actually at Marshall in Huntsville that day. His company was doing contract work for NASA. He has told me the story several times about how that place basically went on lock down within 1/2 an hour. There had been a miniature cross section of a booster in one hangar showing the internal configuration of the booster on display. Of course, there was a buzz all around the campus among NASA employees as well as outside contractors about what occurred. About 3 days after the explosion, an engineer my dad was friendly with told him "I can tell you exactly what I think happened" and proceeded to draw out a sketch of a boosters sections on a piece of copy paper. He told dad then that it was likely an O-Ring issue but had to draw it out because dad wasn't familiar with the booster anatomy. He also told dad that day to go to the hangar where the mini version was at to get a better idea. Dad walked over a bit later and he said that model had been taken down already and that the entire campus had a feel of martial law imposed for the remaining 3 weeks he was there. Hush, hush. Nobody was saying a word to outsiders about the explosion and clearance to previously non-restricted areas was shut down unless you had an escort. He did not have the foresight to keep the sketch that engineer gave him just 3 days after the explosion and kicks himself even today for not doing so as it really would have been a neat thing to have.

I was in the 4th grade. If my memory is correct, the launch had already been scrubbed before. My dad always watched GMA in the mornings and I remember hearing that morning that they were going to launch. At school we had our scheduled library time about 10 to 15 minutes after the launch and that's when we found about the explosion. We were in shock to say the least. They later named the planetarium in Jackson, MS for one of the astronauts.

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And, it was dumb coincidence that I even saw it.

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yeah, honestly i probably would have missed it as well. I worked overnight but was working overtime that day. Would normally have been asleep at that time.

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My sister was also born that day in 1986.

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Pics?

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Tiger Ryno

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oh, nevermind.

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It was a couple of minutes before anyone starting freaking out.

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the words "vehicle explosion" are burned into my memory.

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Frank N

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Doesn't ring a bell. The name Frank has some resonance but I cannot place a face or last name with it. I worked with the Flight Crew Operations section. Was he NASA or a contractor?

I have always been bad with names, and for the past couple of years my memory has taken a severe nosedive. I can remember faces and situations, but I cannot place names with the faces :bang head:

In my last assignment I worked with Phil Shaffer - one of the giants of the NASA space scientists, both physically and mentally - who was a close associate of John Aaron, the best flight controller of all time. The Frank I am thinking of worked closely with Shaffer - he was average height, small frame, maybe 170 lbs, slightly dark complexion, very quiet demeanor.

He was NASA, at JSC, Gemini through the shuttle era - your physical description sounds like him, but I've never known him to be quiet.

I'm now on my phone. Be gone til tomorrow. The Frank I recall said about a dozen words a day. But they were important words.

Educate me a little if I'm way off....but I've always thought the explosion should've been bigger. With that huge tank full of fuel it seems there would have been a bigger explosion with more fire. Excuse my ignorance...