Should have posted this earlier
- Thread starter Ken King
- Start date
MysticalMom
Witchy Woman
I'll never forget where I was that day. I was in 10th grade and ironically in History class when they wheeled the TV in. We stayed in one class all day watching the shuttle explode over and over again.
Sad Sad Sad. I can't believe it's been 20 years. Wow.
Sad Sad Sad. I can't believe it's been 20 years. Wow.
Ken King said:It's hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the Challenger explosion.
I bow in prayer to those of STS-51L that perished this day 20 years ago and the families that suffered the loss of their family members. You will not be forgotten.
You watching The History Channel?
MMDad
Lem Putt
MysticalMom said:
I'm going to have to stop calling you old.
I was in ET "C" school in San Diego. That's where the Navy taught technicians their specialties. We were in class when it happened. CNN was new then, and the networks didn't blanket stuff like they do now. I didn't see the actual footage until three days later in the PO club. I guess it was a good thing I had a beer in my hand once I saw it.
MysticalMom
Witchy Woman
MMDad said:
You're damn tootin' you are!
I'm a spring chicken.
T
tikipirate
Guest
Kenny starts a most serious thread and you guys enter into a hair-pulling contest. Grow up.
T
tikipirate
Guest
Ahem... Thank you for taking your issues to fight club.
I was working at range comm at Point Mugu when Challenger was lost. Mugu was hooked in to 'Shuttle Net' when the launch took place, and we had direct video of the launch pad and from the cine-theodolites.
Shuttle launches had become no big thing. (Remember, NASA's motto was "Going to work in space".) So I was going to work on whatever was paying my GS-5 paycheck. Different channels of the net had the shuttle comms that everyone hears, as well as the banter between Cape radio and Canary tracking, waiting for capture. (And maybe Goddard?)
I remember the "94%", "max Q" and "go for throttle up" like everyone else, but the folks in the room grabbed my attention with "oh sh!t", "no way", and "did that just happen?" By the time I got to the monitors, things were falling into the ocean. Comms were quiet, except for the odd voice stating "lost TM". Range Safety broke in and it was done. If I remember correctly, someone had to explain the situation to Canary tracking.
We still had to revert to network news to get the story. The cameras were still focused on the launch pad and an empty piece of sky.
Godspeed to those who were lost, but it wasn't in vain. Soon after, I could go outside into a California day and hear the 'boom-boom' as the shuttle crossed over. And the last shuttle transmissions on the net before they contact Edwards Approach are always, "Thank you Barking Sands Hawaii and Point Mugu California."
I was working at range comm at Point Mugu when Challenger was lost. Mugu was hooked in to 'Shuttle Net' when the launch took place, and we had direct video of the launch pad and from the cine-theodolites.
Shuttle launches had become no big thing. (Remember, NASA's motto was "Going to work in space".) So I was going to work on whatever was paying my GS-5 paycheck. Different channels of the net had the shuttle comms that everyone hears, as well as the banter between Cape radio and Canary tracking, waiting for capture. (And maybe Goddard?)
I remember the "94%", "max Q" and "go for throttle up" like everyone else, but the folks in the room grabbed my attention with "oh sh!t", "no way", and "did that just happen?" By the time I got to the monitors, things were falling into the ocean. Comms were quiet, except for the odd voice stating "lost TM". Range Safety broke in and it was done. If I remember correctly, someone had to explain the situation to Canary tracking.
We still had to revert to network news to get the story. The cameras were still focused on the launch pad and an empty piece of sky.
Godspeed to those who were lost, but it wasn't in vain. Soon after, I could go outside into a California day and hear the 'boom-boom' as the shuttle crossed over. And the last shuttle transmissions on the net before they contact Edwards Approach are always, "Thank you Barking Sands Hawaii and Point Mugu California."
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tikipirate
Guest
But if you gotta go, this is a lot better than dying of boredom at ABC Liquor:
T-6...............CDR..... There they go guys.
MS 2..... All right.
CDR..... Three at a hundred.
T+O...............MS 2..... Aaall riiight.
T+1...............PLT..... Here we go.
T+7...............CDR.............Houston, Challenger roll program.
T+11..............PLT..... Go you Mother.
T+14..............MS 1..... LVLH.
T+15..............MS 2..... #### hot!
T+16..............CDR..... Ooohh-kaaay.
T+19..............PLT..... Looks like we've got a lotta wind here today.
T+20..............CDR..... Yeah.
T+22..............CDR..... It's a little hard to see out my window here.
T+28..............PLT..... There's ten thousand feet and Mach point five.
T+30............ Garble.
T+35..............CDR..... Point nine.
T+40..............PLT..... There's Mach one.
T+41..............CDR..... Going through nineteen thousand.
T+43..............CDR..... OK we're throttling down.
T+57..............CDR..... Throttling up.
T+58..............PLT..... Throttle up.
T+59..............CDR..... Roger.
T+60..............PLT..... Feel that mother go.
T+60............ Woooohoooo.
T+1:02............PLT..... Thirty-five thousand going through one point five
T+1:05............CDR..... Reading four eighty six on mine.
T+1:07............PLT..... Yep, that's what I've got, too.
T+1:10............CDR..... Roger, go at throttle up.
T+1:13............PLT..... Uhoh.
T-6...............CDR..... There they go guys.
MS 2..... All right.
CDR..... Three at a hundred.
T+O...............MS 2..... Aaall riiight.
T+1...............PLT..... Here we go.
T+7...............CDR.............Houston, Challenger roll program.
T+11..............PLT..... Go you Mother.
T+14..............MS 1..... LVLH.
T+15..............MS 2..... #### hot!
T+16..............CDR..... Ooohh-kaaay.
T+19..............PLT..... Looks like we've got a lotta wind here today.
T+20..............CDR..... Yeah.
T+22..............CDR..... It's a little hard to see out my window here.
T+28..............PLT..... There's ten thousand feet and Mach point five.
T+30............ Garble.
T+35..............CDR..... Point nine.
T+40..............PLT..... There's Mach one.
T+41..............CDR..... Going through nineteen thousand.
T+43..............CDR..... OK we're throttling down.
T+57..............CDR..... Throttling up.
T+58..............PLT..... Throttle up.
T+59..............CDR..... Roger.
T+60..............PLT..... Feel that mother go.
T+60............ Woooohoooo.
T+1:02............PLT..... Thirty-five thousand going through one point five
T+1:05............CDR..... Reading four eighty six on mine.
T+1:07............PLT..... Yep, that's what I've got, too.
T+1:10............CDR..... Roger, go at throttle up.
T+1:13............PLT..... Uhoh.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Morton Thoikal...
...o rings, cold weather, beauracracy and so forth...
It should NOT have happened. Y'all know the story.
It enraged me, as we learned the fats, the thought of the Thoikal engineers running around caught in a wide awake nightmare calling everyone they could to say launch in that weather was begging for it. The previous delays, over-runs, business decisions, political decisions. The pressure.
We need a new shuttle, from the ground up, and we need to do it because THEY, the crew, just like any crew today, have the stones and commitment to strap in and go...we're human. We NEED to go.
...o rings, cold weather, beauracracy and so forth...
It should NOT have happened. Y'all know the story.
It enraged me, as we learned the fats, the thought of the Thoikal engineers running around caught in a wide awake nightmare calling everyone they could to say launch in that weather was begging for it. The previous delays, over-runs, business decisions, political decisions. The pressure.
We need a new shuttle, from the ground up, and we need to do it because THEY, the crew, just like any crew today, have the stones and commitment to strap in and go...we're human. We NEED to go.
Otter
Nothing to see here
L
ladylara
Guest
interesting link, otter. thanks.
i still can't believe it's been 20 years. i posted this exact same thread on another board yesterday and i still can't believe it.
i was in 6th grade science class in texas. we were watching the launch on a tiny B&W that our teacher brought in. this was a huge moment in history and he didn't want us to miss it.
i remember a huge collective gasp and then instant crying. i remember running to the bathroom wanting to throw up but ended up sitting there against the wall crying. you wouldn't think a little 11 year old could grasp such a tragedy - but i was (and still am) in awe of space travel.
we must continue space exploration. dangers and all.
i still can't believe it's been 20 years. i posted this exact same thread on another board yesterday and i still can't believe it.
i was in 6th grade science class in texas. we were watching the launch on a tiny B&W that our teacher brought in. this was a huge moment in history and he didn't want us to miss it.
i remember a huge collective gasp and then instant crying. i remember running to the bathroom wanting to throw up but ended up sitting there against the wall crying. you wouldn't think a little 11 year old could grasp such a tragedy - but i was (and still am) in awe of space travel.
we must continue space exploration. dangers and all.
