Do you remember what you were doing 37 years ago today?

[mtpockets]

January 28, 1986 - 37 years ago today tragedy struck as #Challenger broke apart 73 sec after launch, killing all on-board. Remembering those who were lost: Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Judith Resnik, Dick Scobee, and Mike Smith.



I remember it like it was yesterday, I was teaching a class to a group of Fighter Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers. We took a break to wheel the TV into the room to watch the Launch. Seen grown men and women weep that day. Sad day.

RIP Challenger crew

[Redfish225]

I was in 8th grade

[steffo99]

Was too young to remember exactly this one, but clearly remember the assasination of our prime minister in February of that year and going to a vigil thing with my friend.

[ectoBgone]

I was in junior high school math class when the principal came into the room to let us all know. This was in New Hampshire so it was a pretty big deal.

[jtaylor2010]

Was sitting in my desk in my first grade classroom watching the live deaths of great Americans along with my classmates because my teacher was showing it on tv. I don’t think the severity of the situation sunk in for us though and we just moved on after it blew up. At least their death was instant.

[DustinTheHuss]

Oh goodness. I remember I was in high school and they stopped classes so that we could talk and cry.

That was a sad day.

[paulinkansas]

Freshman year in college. I walked into my dorm room after class and my roommate had the tv news on.

[OldFartTom]

Remember seeing it on the news, very sad

[Guyfawkes1010]

Lmao y'all are old I wasn't even born yet.

[Cass40]

Was too young to remember exactly this one, but clearly remember the assasination of our prime minister in February of that year and going to a vigil thing with my friend.

Yeah I remember Olof Palme but not the thing Op is talking about.

[Mark1T]

Was sitting in my desk in my first grade classroom watching the live deaths of great Americans along with my classmates because my teacher was showing it on tv. I don’t think the severity of the situation sunk in for us though and we just moved on after it blew up. At least their death was instant.

It has always been debatable if their deaths were instant or if they were alive on the way down. As a direct consequence of the accident, now on every rocket with humans, the cockpit pod can separate from the rocket and parachute down to safety.

[mtpockets]

Lmao y'all are old I wasn't even born yet.

LMAO

Someone check this Fawkers id.

[SPP1]

6th grade. My mom told me what happened when she picked me up from school. She thought I watched it because they always showed the shuttle takeoffs/landings at my previous school before we moved. They never made an announcement about it, so I don't think any of the teachers knew either.

[Corbi]

It has always been debatable if their deaths were instant or if they were alive on the way down. As a direct consequence of the accident, now on every rocket with humans, the cockpit pod can separate from the rocket and parachute down to safety.

I have read that the astronauts survived the explosion and it was the impact with the water that eventually killed them.

Also I was 23 and moving into my 1st house that day, was using my sisters 73 Hornet Sportabout Wagon to haul all my belongings. My now ex wife sat in the house watching tv while I hauled everything. With every load I would sit for awhile and watch the news.

[weiss1967]

I remember that day. I was in the navy at the time, but sad news somehow trickled through to everybody. Keep in mind, that was Russian navy. No one was laughing.

[Plateauplower]

Watching live in a 5th grade classroom. I also got a huffy challenger bike for Christmas that year and one of the first rides it also failed catastrophically at the weld between the front wheel forks and handlebars on one of the first rides down a hill. Still have a scar from that. Huffy gave me a new bike.

There was a LOT of internal issues as NASA with that launch related to the possibility of that happening. The Launch Safety Engineering team had reason to believe there were problems with the insulation and the launch had been postponed and should have been again due to a cold snap and icing in FL that should have grounded the launch, but they saw their window of opportunity and went ahead anyway. Pretty good documentary on Netflix about it.

[ajdahlheimer]

Pretty good documentary on Netflix about it.

This. The documentary is incredible. There is absolutely no Earthly reason that rocket ever should have been launched that day and essentially all but one guy said so. No clue how he could ever live w/himself the rest of his life afterwards.

[Mark1T]

I have read that the astronauts survived the explosion and it was the impact with the water that eventually killed them.

Also I was 23 and moving into my 1st house that day, was using my sisters 73 Hornet Sportabout Wagon to haul all my belongings. My now ex wife sat in the house watching tv while I hauled everything. With every load I would sit for awhile and watch the news.

Yes, I have read that many times and I believe it was very possible they were alive on the way down. Horrific.

Watching live in a 5th grade classroom. I also got a huffy challenger bike for Christmas that year and one of the first rides it also failed catastrophically at the weld between the front wheel forks and handlebars on one of the first rides down a hill. Still have a scar from that. Huffy gave me a new bike.

There was a LOT of internal issues as NASA with that launch related to the possibility of that happening. The Launch Safety Engineering team had reason to believe there were problems with the insulation and the launch had been postponed and should have been again due to a cold snap and icing in FL that should have grounded the launch, but they saw their window of opportunity and went ahead anyway. Pretty good documentary on Netflix about it.

True. Some in NASA did not want the shuttle to fly that day because they knew there was high risk because of the cold affecting the seals. But, leaders at NASA pressured for a launch, no matter the risk. It could have been prevented by waiting. Massive loss of wonderful people.

[keyboardworkout]

In high school. Shop teaching came in crying after watching it live.

[air2fakie]

In school, our class sent a letter to NASA nominating our teacher to be the first teacher in space on that Challenger flight. Pretty sure they ended that inaugural program after the explosion.

[mtpockets]

This. The documentary is incredible. There is absolutely no Earthly reason that rocket ever should have been launched that day and essentially all but one guy said so. No clue how he could ever live w/himself the rest of his life afterwards.

There was a LOT of internal issues as NASA with that launch related to the possibility of that happening. The Launch Safety Engineering team had reason to believe there were problems with the insulation and the launch had been postponed and should have been again due to a cold snap and icing in FL that should have grounded the launch, but they saw their window of opportunity and went ahead anyway. Pretty good documentary on Netflix about it.

You boys sold me, we usually get Netflix once a year for a month and watch anything interesting. I will re-sign up tonight and watch this documentary..

[ajdahlheimer]

You boys sold me, we usually get Netflix once a year for a month and watch anything interesting. I will re-sign up tonight and watch this documentary..

I'm actually re-watching it right now. Won't give away spoilers, but they scrubbed the launch multiple times (due to what they perceived as poor weather conditions) and then ended up launching in the worst possible weather scenario one could imagine. 22 degrees and icicles hanging from the heat shield.........

[Samraiwise]

I was 26.

All I can remember is that I was sad.

I was a big fan of "Lost in Space" and "Star Trek" and never thought that kind of tragic accident would ever have happened.