20 years ago today...

[ChiefsFanatic]

Was just watching Beyond The Moon: Failure Is Not An Option 2.

Today is the 20th anniversary of the Challenger disaster. They actually showed the explosion, and the reactions of all the flight controllers. I had tears in my eyes.

I remember watching it in school. We got to watch because there was a teacher going into space. I didn't really understand the significance at the time, though.

[007]

That happened on January 25th, 1986.

Damn website had it wrong. I checked another one to confirm and you were right. It was the 28th.

[007]

I still remember the understatement, "Obviously, a major malfunction."

[ChiefsFire]

was a very sad time

remember it too

saw my dad cry

[007]

was a very sad time

remember it too

saw my dad cry

It got really sad when all the tasteless jokes started popping up.

[ChiefsFire]

It got really sad when all the tasteless jokes started popping up.
yea

the one about 'how did they know the astronauts had dandruff??"

[007]

yea

the one about 'how did they know the astronauts had dandruff??"

That's the one. I wanted to knock the kids block off for even saying that back then. Hell, I still do.

[Demonpenz]

That was horrible but after 9/11 six or seven lives seem not as meaningful.

[thebrad84]

I was only two when it happened, so I can only imagine what it was like to watch it live, especially for the parents and loved ones of the astronauts. Very, very sad to think that the entire disaster should have never taken place. Apparently some engineers warned their managers not to launch in such cold temperatures, because of the O-ring possible failures, but because of media pressure, they decided to anyways. Knowing that, it makes it that much worse. I'm sure most of you already knew that, but I for one had never heard that. That trully is awful.

I found a pretty cool remembrance video of both the Challenger and Columbia shuttle disasters that I think you guys may enjoy. It's only 9mins in length and done very well.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5193571675081061686&q=Challenger+Flight&pr=goog-sl

[Demonpenz]

i was in lawrence tonight where the hell is flordia street

[thebrad84]

i was in lawrence tonight where the hell is flordia street

Can't say I remember ever being on Florida St. or even seeing it. I would assume it's amongst all the other state named streets (which most are in or around campus). It's probably a real small side street with just a few houses or apartments on it or something. Who knows? It's not a big or common street, I know that much.

[ChiefsFire]

i was in lawrence tonight where the hell is flordia street
east of georiga

[007]

east of georiga

South of Georgia would make more sense though. :hmmm:

[KCFalcon59]

Address to the nation on the Challenger disaster
Oval Office
January 28, 1986

Ladies and gentlemen, I'd planned to speak to you tonight to report on the state of the union, but the events of earlier today have led me to change those plans. Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core by the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger. We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country. This is truly a national loss.

Nineteen years ago, almost to the day, we lost three astronauts in a terrible accident on the ground. But we've never lost an astronaut in flight; we've never had a tragedy like this. And perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle; but they, the Challenger Seven, were aware of the dangers, but overcame them and did their jobs brilliantly. We mourn seven heroes: Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis, and Christa McAuliffe. We mourn their loss as a nation together.

For the families of the seven, we cannot bear, as you do, the full impact of this tragedy. But we feel the loss, and we're thinking about you so very much. Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, "Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy." They had a hunger to explore the universe and discover its truths. They wished to serve, and they did. They served all of us.

We've grown used to wonders in this century. It's hard to dazzle us. But for 25 years the United States space program has been doing just that. We've grown used to the idea of space, and perhaps we forget that we've only just begun. We're still pioneers. They, the members of the Challenger crew, were pioneers.

And I want to say something to the school children of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery. It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons. The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave. The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future, and we'll continue to follow them.

I've always had great faith in and respect for our space program, and what happened today does nothing to diminish it. We don't hide our space program. We don't keep secrets and cover things up. We do it all up front and in public. That's the way freedom is, and we wouldn't change it for a minute. We'll continue our quest in space. There will be more shuttle flights and more shuttle crews and yes, more volunteers, more civilians, more teachers in space. Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.

I want to add that I wish I could talk to every man and woman who works for NASA or who worked on this mission and tell them: "Your dedication and professionalism have moved and impressed us for decades. And we know of your anguish. We share it."

There's a coincidence today. On this day 390 years ago, the great explorer Sir Francis Drake died aboard ship off the coast of Panama. In his lifetime the great frontiers were the oceans, and a historian later said, "He lived by the sea, died on it, and was buried in it." Well, today we can say of the Challenger crew: Their dedication was, like Drake's, complete.

The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved good-bye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."