Twenty Years Ago Today - Challenger Exploded

[JCJRSmith]

I cannot believe it has been 20 years since the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. Do you remember what you were doing when you heard about it?

I was in the Navy, stationed aboard USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) in Norfolk, VA. I had just come back from chow when my buddy said to me, "The space shuttle blew up." I didn't believe him. No work got done that afternoon as we were all gathered around any TV we could find on the ship watching the news.

Godspeed Challenger - we will not forget you.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/01/28/challenger.at.20.ap/index.html

 

[JerryMoCricketsGal]

I was reading that on CNN....I can't believe it's been 20 years. That was back when they had us watch the launchings live in school on TV, and it still makes me get chills thinking about it.

The one thing that gives me comfort about the whole thing and those poor people is that they died doing what they loved. There's not many people that can be said about.

Rest In Peace all aboard the shuttle that day.

 

[klmall]

I remember that day so clearly because I was on my way for amniocentsis when I heard the news on the car radio. My DH tried to distract me but I was so nervous and afraid that the day was somehow jinxed. It was such a relief to get good news a few weeks later that our baby was okay.

These two happy and sad events will be forever linked in my life anyway!

 

[Cass]

I remember it so vividly too... I was 21 years old (so young ) I went to the bank to deposit my pay check and heard the tellers talking about an explosion after take off and everyone being killed.

I thought they were talking about a plane crash and I rushed up to my office to see what airline it was and it was Challenger

 

[lunsusie]

I live in Central Florida and was watching the launch from my office window.

May God be with each of the Challenger family members during this time of remberbrance.

 

[we3disneygo]

today is dh's birthday...

 

[Cass]

Aww... poor DH, but it's not as bad as having a 9/11 birthday

 

[mum4jenn]

I was 24 years old and I was in week two of my managers training at Wendys and some of our student workers came running in to tell us.

I was watching some of the anniv. coverage on CNN today and it was the first time I had ever heard that they found all the bodies still in the crew cab.All the other reports I remember that they declined to tell any details.

 

[Becky2005]

Wow! It has been 20 years?

I remember exactly what we were doing. We were in school (high school) changing from after gym! A girl came in and told us the shuttle exploded - NONE of us believed her as shuttles just don't do that. I know they held a moment of silence but unfortunately, all of us in the gym locker room didn't hear the announcement or really truly believed the student. It wasn't until we got out into the halls later that we realized it was TRUE!

 

[kbkids]

I was in chemistry lab my freshmen year of college.


Isn't it strange how things like that stick in your mind - like exactly where you were? I can still tell you where I was sitting when the guy (his name was Aaron) walked in and told us.


Just like 911, it was my first day teaching at a new preschool. I was sitting in the car in shock listening to the radio. Couldn't make myself turn it off and go inside, even though I was running late. I can still tell you the parking space I was sitting in. Turned out EVERYONE was late that day because we were all doing the same thing.

 

[#1hockeymom]

I remember this vividly. I was twenty and I was asleep on the couch with my first born newborn baby napping on my stomach. I woke up having a horrible dream about the moon exploding. I turned on the tv and watched part of a talk show, then tv switched to the space shuttle, then of course the horrible explosion. I always wonder if my dream really was a premonition or just a dream with weird timing.

 

[Sparx]

I wasn't alive, but isn't it weird how you remember things like this? I remember exactly what I was doing on 9/11(I was 10) and when princess Di died(I was 6) and when Columbia burnt up(I was 12).

my thoughts go out to the family members of those who were lost in this, though.

 

[Aurora63]

I was in 3rd grade...my class happened to be at lunch at the time, but every other class that was not at lunch was watching it on live TV...getting ready for Christa McAulife to teach a lesson from space. When we got back to class, our teacher looked incredibly somber and lethargic, and she just came out and told us what happened. We all became silent, and we sat and talked about it for a very long time.

 

[themepark]

I was in a Sociology lecture my freshman year at college. We were watching the launch during class. My friend and I left the lecture hall speechless and sat in the student center eating ham sandwiches (hers with lettuce and mustard only, mine with everything). Everyone was very somber all around us too. Amazing the details you remember when a tragedy occurs.

 

[robertsmom]

I can't believe it been 20 years. I was 10, and so excited that a teacher was going into space. My fifth grade class was watching it on TV, and I remember asking my teacher "What happened" because I just couldn't process it.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I saw it on TV. We were living in Houston and both my husband and I were students at the Univ of Houston - Clear Lake. Lots of Johnson Space Center employees go to school there to work on Masters and finish bachelors. One woman in a few classes of mine was married to one of the astronauts on that flight. I never saw her again after that day.

 

[makinorlando]

I too remember it vividly. I had left my office to go pick up the mail, and had the radio on in my car. No one in my office knew when I returned that it had happened. The first person I really wanted to talk to about it was my dad, only he had died 3 weeks earlier. It was a double blow to realize I didn't have him to share the tragedy with. It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years for either!

I'm watching a special on CNN right now about Christa Mcauliffe

 

[Mishetta]

I was working at the time at Merrill Lynch in Beverly Hills, CA & one of the senior brokers came out of his office & made the announcement. We all went running over to his office to watch it on TV. He had a small office (then again, there were about 70 of us running to his TV), so he moved his TV to his secretary's desk so that everyone in the office could watch it. Very sad indeed. It was so quiet in our office that day. Usually phones were ringing everywhere & brokers & their assistants being noisey as they bought & sold stocks, etc....but this day, it was so quiet....no one called the office. I guess everyone was watching the news so business halted for the day really. So weird but I can even still remember what I was wearing that day.

Not minutes after, someone said something so stupid ~ "what does NASA stand for?" We were all stunned & said "what?" His answer was "Need Another Seven Astronauts!" People started calling him names right there. It just wasn't a joking moment. I'm sure he felt very small ~ or at least I hope he did.

 

[disneysteve]

Definitely a "where were you" day for me.

I was a senior in college. I had just come out of class in Science Hall when i heard someone say the shuttle blew up. I imagined they meant something had happened in space. I went down to the campus center because there was a tv there. Everyone was gathered around watching the coverage. I watched there for a while and then went back to my apartment and watched there. Very sad day.

I also clearly remember the Columbia disaster. We were driving to Delaware to visit friends and had the news on the radio. They were supposed to be broadcasting the landing and were explaining that the ship was late and they were trying to find out why. Of course, they eventually learned what had happened.

 

[winniedapooh]

I was working my first "professional" job. I listening to the radio and then someone finding a portable tv to watch the coverage on. I was shocked and horrified and still am to this day...I just pray they did not suffer.