re: 21 Years Ago (2/1/03) - Space Shuttle Columbia Tragedy

I remember this day. Was a Saturday. Was at baseball practice. But it was actually just a bunch of us high school boys picking up rocks off the field so that more grass could be planted.

Remember Coach saying something about it. We went about our business. But later that night it was just crazy.

Then there were the space shuttle jokes…. Head and shoulders anyone?

I've never seen such a clear video sequence of the foam impact.

My old man was sitting on the back porch in Madisonville, waiting to hear the sonic boom like he had done many times before. The time came and went, and after about ten minutes he knew something was wrong. He went inside, turned on the television, and saw the news. He then called me in Australia; it was after 10pm there and I had just gone to bed. He told me what was happening, so I got up and watched the news there for several hours. I was a real space freak and had met Michael Anderson once when he was still an astronaut candidate.

What really happened

I was at a swim meet, walking around the concourse area outside the pool between warmups and the meet start. Overheard a rando mom saying “the space shuttle blew up?” on the phone with her husband. A short while later there was an announcement over the PA and moment of silence.

Such a vivid memory.

I remember it vividly. There was a piece of debris that landed in Toledo Bend in front of our camp.

I remember it well was outside waiting for the boom and flyover that never came

quote:

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Perfectly normal looking weather pattern.

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What do you think that shows, Liberator?

Was that supposed to be a joke?

Challenger "exploding"
Columbia "blowing up"

No joke.