Comments on: Where were you when the Challenger space shuttle disaster happened?

By: S Barrett

S Barrett — Thu, 10 May 2012 17:10:00 +0000

I was in my high school library after lunch. Thought the other kids were joking when I first heard about it.

By: Don Taylor

Don Taylor — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:34:44 +0000

I was a Senior Tech working in the Crew Module, I was also a Space Craft Operator, (SCO) I left our area at 7:00am and headed for home, When I arrived at home and getting out of the car I heared the muffled sound of the external tank exploding and looked east I saw the contrails of the Solid rockets and they were not heading in the normal direction. I knew that something major had happened. I called the shop in the OPF and my boss said "we lost Challenger" dont come in until your normal time. I had spent part of my last shift before the launch in the emergency area, If something happened during the count down I and a back up astronautic would hot foot it to the pad and in to the Orbiter and try and fix anything that had failed to work properly so we could continue the count down to launch. As a SCO you have the opportunity to work with and become friends with the astronauts, I knew Ellison Onisuka well and miss all of them very much. Now retired, I miss the program, and the hard working people.

By: Collen DeSanto

Collen DeSanto — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:34:25 +0000

I watched the shuttle launch out the window of a Delta Jetliner bound for Ft Lauderdale, Fla.. We were the only commercial airliner in the air space of Cape Kennedy. The pilot alerted the passengers that it would be launching in 2 minutes, and how to locate it visually on the ground. The launch pad appeared about the size of a postage stamp and the shuttle sat on it vertically. It launched, with the billowing white smoke against the back drop of the beautiful blue ocean behind it.pushing it ever higher until it exploded at about a 10 o'clock position in the sky. Everyone gasped and sat down, but those with the window seats were locked in a trance. We watched as the booster rockets flew wildly , the pilot announce that it was just the boosters seperating…we knew better and then suddenly it appeared. We could see against that blue ocean the shuttle itself…a small white shape…but visibly the shuttle..it was contrailing up in an arc away from the explosion…"open the shutte, open the shutte….come on open it " were the whisper coming from my mouth as well as passengers behind me. we watched as it started to tumble to earth….No shutte opened and as it descended close to earth the contrail disappeared and then the small speck of the shuttle did too. It was about 2 minutes later that the captain announced that there had been a catstrophic failure on the shuttle and he would keep us posted. As we landed, the captain announced that if anyone had any photos, video tape or such of the launch that NASA was asking them to report to the Delta Desk upon departure form the plane………….There are men in black !!! they were there collecting any of them….. we had no picture but I have the memory of this burned into my memory and only have to shut my eyes and I can still see it today.

By: Kerr Mudgeon

Kerr Mudgeon — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:33:22 +0000

At work, in the office. Somebody said to come see it on the TV. Saw the "bleachers" audience response & my heart sank. Watched replays of the video of the explosion of the shuttle, and noted that some "chunks" seemed to separate intact, then fell into the ocean. Had an idea that the crew actually died AFTER the explosion… but didn't say anything.

By: Mike H.

Mike H. — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 04:12:55 +0000

Watching the launch, and filled with horror at the sight,

By: Darryl Raby

Darryl Raby — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:04:20 +0000

Hospital, just outside the operating room waiting for surgery.

By: Chuck

Chuck — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:10:20 +0000

Right in the middle of a printing job in my print shop when a customer came in and told of the disaster.

By: Ed Hamilton

Ed Hamilton — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:39:51 +0000

I, too, was home, watching the launch, and remember yelling out loud at the huge plume of smoke for the shuttle to appear. I could not watch another launch for years.

By: Darryl MacDonald

Darryl MacDonald — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:35:16 +0000

I was at home watching the launch and I was stunned at what I saw.

By: J. L. Bell

J. L. Bell — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 02:29:33 +0000

Giving blood. Heard faint whispers about some sort of accident. Thought, “Well, that's why I'm here."