Challenger Tragedy..Where were you ?

Today marks 25 years since the space shuttle Challenger broke apart shortly after takeoff, So I was wondering do you remember where you were ?
I was in 5 th grade, and at the time we lived in California, and I will never forget my class was on a field trip to Los Angelas, and ironicallly enough we went to the Jet Propultion lab, we heard it on the radio on the way there, and I remember while the tour guide was taking us around, I was very upset and gave him the third degree about it, asking him why didnt they run a test run one more time, poor guy, I think he wanted to cry.

I kinda was a pest to him..Please lets all say a prayer and take a minute today to remember the families and the lives lost..

Texasquest's Avatar
I walked into the lounge at work to get a Cup of coffe and the TV was on and the 10 sec countdown just started so I stopped to Watch the lift Off...Needless to say not much work got done that morning..
It was devastating, I am just glad that we didnt get to actually watch it, hearing it was bad enough, and then the look on my teachers face..I will never forget it, what was really sad was that my class had written a letter to that teacher..and when we got back, we had our response letter from her..My teacher made copies so we would all have one...
In the Sandbox
john353's Avatar
I was at Ft. Bragg. I saw it happen on a tv while we were hanging out in the barracks. I'll never forget that.
I will never forget that blank look on Kristen McCaulif's mother and father's face as they gazed up at the plumes of smoke.

Through the years, we have learned even more about how all of the Astronauts were probably alive as the cockpit made that horrifying plummet to the ocean.

For us that are old enough, this was no more horrifying than when the Astronauts were burned alive from a flash fire in a pure oxygen enviroment. Just more recent.
I was at work in Chicago when our Houston office called..then we all stood in front of the TV in shock. Will never forget the moment.
bbkid's Avatar
  • bbkid
  • 01-28-2011, 12:41 PM
Calling on a business in South Houston. Customer said it had just blown up, but that they thought the crew might be ok. (??)
I went down the road to Montgomery Wards to watch it all in the TV Department.
I guess I'll be showing my age. I was sitting in 9th grade science class when I found out. The teacher actually got ahold of a TV (rare back in those days) and let us watch the news coverage.
cockstrong's Avatar
i was in school too...we were watching the coverage of the launch of tv cuz that teacher was on the shuttle, going 2 be the 1st teacher in space. when it exploded everyone was in shock, like was that supposed 2 happen or something?? then most of the kids in the class started crying cuz the reporters were saying it was real.....
I had a double whammy that day! I was attending a conference in St. Louis when it was announced the space shuttle went down. Shortly after the news was announced they adjourned the conference for the remainder of the day. I went back to my room and called my Dad's Dr who had previously told me to call him that morning so he could share the results of some tests they were doing. The Dr. then informed me that my Dad was terminally ill and had only 3-6 months to live.

What an awful day!
AshrDashr's Avatar
I remember sitting in class watching the horror unfold. The silence that followed echo'd throughout the whole school. A tragic day.
1bubba1's Avatar
College, the one do I do remember of the 80's
oilfieldscum's Avatar
I was in college walking to class. The accident shows what happens when you let a bunch of idiots run something.
caramelqtee mila's Avatar
!st grade as Ms Graham wheeled in a Tv for us to watch and all the other classes came over. i remember like 3 of the teachers holding each other and softly crying. We all just watched in horror but didnt fully grasp what had happened. it was still a very sad day. RIP