The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after liftoff 40 years ago today...

I will never forget where I was at when this happened. I was working on a construction job in South Shreveport when my wife called me to tell me what happened.

8th grade biology/science. Twice in my life I have had a dream about something happening and it actually happening about a week later. This was one of those times. Maybe it was because there was so much press about it with the teacher on board.

Hard to believe it was that long ago. It feels like only yesterday we had a 39 year anniversary thread about it exploding.

I was in first grade watching on tv in class. I remember it well because just two months before, I got to see Atlantis launch in person (STS-61B) and something like that leaves an impression on a kid. My old man saved the newspaper and I still have it stowed away in a chest somewhere.

Again, focusing on the flight crew - both Scobee and Smith were combat aviation veterans of Vietnam, both holding the Distinguished Flying Cross. Scobee was a "mustang" (insofar as the USAF has that concept), having enlisted in the 1950s as a mechanic, ultimately earning his bachelor's, commission as an officer and pilot wings. A multi-engine specialist, he flew Starlifters and Caribous in SE Asia and was an instructor pilot for NASA's 747s that ferried the shuttles around.

Smith was just a kid in Vietnam (early 20s). A naval aviator, he flew Intruders over North Vietnam (not a sport for the timid), including Operation Linebacker. He became a test pilot while still in his 20s, after Vietnam.

Smith's words "Uh oh" are the last recorded from Challenger's crew. This dispels the notion they had no idea anything had gone wrong.

Resnik and Onizuka were on the flight deck with Scobee and Smith. Among their checklist responsibilities were that, in an emergency, they were to activate the Personal Egress Air Packs (PEAPs) of Smith and Scobee as those were attached to their seats behind them, so as not to interfere with their ability to control the orbiter. As the PEAPs of Onizuka, Resnik and Smith were all activated, this is the strongest evidence that the flight crew survived the separation of the crew compartment from the orbiter itself and that Resnik and Onizuka were working their checklists. The fact that Onizuka and Resnik took affirmative actions (heroically, it should be added) and the other evidence regarding manipulation of switches that would have only been done if Smith and Scobee (also following their checklists and training/experience) were attempting to regain control of the craft should be taken as a bittersweet reminder that life isn't a fairytale and that we had incredible human beings as part of that program.

Incredible people that technology, systems and protocols just failed them that day. In no way should the failure of the mission be reflected on the crew. Another "Go fever" situation, with the Apollo 1 fire anniversary being just yesterday.

RIP to heroic Americans.

Just got done with supper and for some reason I poked my head in the day room and saw it happen on AFN

Getting out of the elevator at the Hyatt Regency in NOLA. Heard people talking about it. It was a day or two after the Superbowl.

One of those events where everyone knows where they were when they saw/heard.

We were watching on monitors at Michoud like we had done for every launch. Everyone was like "that didn't look right. Something went wrong".

I was in my last class before graduation at AU - Calculus 162 (I stupidly put taking this class until the end). Someone stuck their head in the class and announced the Challenger had exploded. The professor immediately dismissed class. What TV for the rest of the day. Sad day!!