🚀 go-pugleaf

sbooth@lonestar.utsa.edu (Simon E. Booth) writes:


>Just a reminder- 7 years ago today- 11:38am EST....
>So, where were you when the Challenger disaster took place?
>It was during my sophomore of high school, and I was in English class
>when they told us.
>No tribute of any sort was allowed, nor could we openly talk about it
>without some sort of negative reaction from administrators.
>I remember it well, I even got in 'trouble' for this.
>Pro-space exploration views were not welcome.
>At least now things have improved.
>Simon

Where were you?  I was in grade school, and it was raining so we were inside
for our lunchtime recess.  The teachers let us watch the launch live (My 
teacher was a teacher-in-space candidate.)  We spent the whole afternoon
trying to figure out what happened, and the flag was lowered to half-staff
that day and for the following week.  I can't believe they wouldn't let you
discuss one of the most tragic events in recent history.
Sean

In article <1993Jan28.010055.1691@ringer.cs.utsa.edu>, 
sbooth@lonestar.utsa.edu (Simon E. Booth) writes:
 
> Just a reminder- 7 years ago today- 11:38am EST....
> So, where were you when the Challenger disaster took place?
> It was during my sophomore of high school, and I was in English class
> when they told us.
> No tribute of any sort was allowed, nor could we openly talk about it
> without some sort of negative reaction from administrators.
> I remember it well, I even got in 'trouble' for this.
> Pro-space exploration views were not welcome.
> At least now things have improved.

I was at work in the service department of Bill Utter Ford in Denton TX
(working my way thru my undergrad physics degree).  Joel Petty (another
mechanic) and I listened to the launch on his radio while we worked.  I
recall hearing the comment, "...looks like a major malfunction..." and
feeling the same way I would if I saw flashing lights in my rear view
mirror -- a gut wrenching fear.

After another minute or so the word started to circulate that "the shuttle
blew up".  The owner called all employees up to the showroom where we
watched the TV and waited for further results.  After ~45 minutes we knew
the worst was confirmed and went back to work somewhat dazed.

-Bill Gawne,  Space Telescope Science Institute

In article <1993Jan28.010055.1691@ringer.cs.utsa.edu> sbooth@lonestar.utsa.edu (Simon E. Booth) writes:
>
>Just a reminder- 7 years ago today- 11:38am EST....
>
>So, where were you when the Challenger disaster took place?
>
Well, I was done class early that morning and went home for lunch (I was on
M.S.Time).  I flipped on the T.V. and saw the shuttle about to launch.  I
found out later that this was post-explosion coverage, but when I switched
on the 'tube they had decided to show the launch sans commentary, just
listening to mission control.  So for me, it was "real time" with no
warning.  I just thought "cool--a shuttle launch," and couldn't believe it
when it exploded.

...Rob Campbell
   Stanford University

I was in my 8th grade physics class when our principal went on the P.A. system
and told us the news. We wee sent home early (about 12:30 E.S.T.) When I got
home, my Dad didn't even know about it, and I told him to turn on the VCR to
tape any channel, he asked me what happened. He couldn't believe it either.
Now that I'm a junio studying Aerospace Engineeing at USC, I know that the
Challenger accident told us that NASA and ou technology is not pefect, and it
never will be. We learned fom our mistakes on Jan. 28, 1986, but we still have
alot to lean before space flight will ever be a outine part of all our lives.
We learn fom cas accidents, plane accidents, and home accidents, and there is
always a small chance  that something will go wong sooner or later.
Unfortunately, for the STS-26 crew, it happened sooner.


				Victor R. Orly
				(orly@aludra.usc.edu)

-- 
|Victor R. Orly               | "Try to imagine all life as you know it,      |
|aka "Mr. Nitro Plastique"    |  stopping instantaneously, and every molecule |
|Univ. of Southern California |  in your body exploding at the speed of light"|
|Internet: orly@aludra.usc.edu|    -Egon Spengler, from "Ghostbusters"        |

> I can't believe they wouldn't let you discuss on of the most tragic
> events in recent history.

I can.  Public schools are notorious for the collection of politically
correct liberals infesting them.  They probably thought that the money
would have been better spent on welfare and that NASA and the
Challenger Seven deserved what they got.

God, I hate PC Libs!  Especially when they are in positions to
indoctrinate our future.
-- 
The Next Challenge - Public Access Unix in Northern Va. - Washington D.C.
703-803-0391 To log in for trial and account info.

Where was I when the Challenger accident occurred?

I was an eight grader at Chestnut Junior High School.  I distinctly remember
being told by one of my teachers, Mr. Roche.  However, he had a reputation of
being a joker, and nobody believed him.  He wouldn't even put on the TV to
prove it, so we didn't believe a word he said.  Our next class was Social
Studies with Mr. Mills.  Unfortunately, he was out that day, and we had a sub
who ALSO told us the bad news.  By this time, it started to sink in.  
Needless to say, very little was done for the rest of the day.  I don't
remember much of what happened for the rest of the day, I was in a state of
shock.  To this day, I still get chills when I see the explosion.  Let's ALL
hope that it never happens again...

							James Sambrook

In article <5=r30mh@rpi.edu>, gallas2@marcus.its.rpi.edu (Sean Michael Gallagher) writes:
|> sbooth@lonestar.utsa.edu (Simon E. Booth) writes:
|> 
|> 
|> >Just a reminder- 7 years ago today- 11:38am EST....
|> >So, where were you when the Challenger disaster took place?
|> >It was during my sophomore of high school, and I was in English class
|> >when they told us.
|> >No tribute of any sort was allowed, nor could we openly talk about it
|> >without some sort of negative reaction from administrators.
|> >I remember it well, I even got in 'trouble' for this.
|> >Pro-space exploration views were not welcome.
|> >At least now things have improved.
|> >Simon
|
I was watching the launch in the conference room here at JSC.  I had worked for
 NASA for 6 months.  51-L was the first flight I worked with in one of the
 simulators here.  I knew some of the crew.  They were wonderful people.
 

Keith A. Grimm
NASA-JSC
Houston, TX  77058

I too, remember quite clearly where I was and what I was doing on 28 Jan 86.
It was my senior year at MIT and I had just finished a three week program at
Lowell Observatory and was visiting my parents in South Florida.  I got up that
morning watching the TV for news on the shuttle launch.  When I heard about the
delays and the pad condition, I figured that there was no way they would launch
that day, so I decided to pop a video of "Close Encounters" into the VCR.  When
the movie finished, the TV came back onto CNN, where I saw a graphic of the
Shuttle disaster.  I ended up spending the rest of the day in a state of shock.

To this day, I still can not watch "Close Encounters" b/c of this association.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irwin Horowitz                        |
Astronomy Department                  |"Whoever heard of a female astronomer?"
California Institute of Technology    |--Charlene Sinclair, "Dinosaurs"
irwin@iago.caltech.edu                |
ih@deimos.caltech.edu                 |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

nickh@CS.CMU.EDU (Nick Haines) writes:

>Oh, give me a break. Seven trained people, flying a brand-new,
>more-or-less untested vehicle? They knew the risks. How is this even
>comparable to massive tragedies like the famines in the Horn of
>Africa, or the Azerbaijan earthquake, or even to the Lockerbie
>bombing? To any airliner crash? There are even highway pileups which
>kill more.

>Sure, it's a tragedy. But don't go blowing it out of proportion.

>Nick Haines nickh@cmu.edu

There are many tragedies which occur every day in the world, but if I felt as
deeply about each of them as I do about Challenger, I wouldn't be sane for 
very long.  You can't measure a tragedy in terms of the sheer magnitude of 
catastrophe.  It is subjective, measured by how it affects you.  You can't
allow yourself to weep for everyone who suffers everywhere in the world, so
you weep for those who you know, or can relate to.  I saw the Challenger 7 as
not just another seven marks on the death board like you did, but as heroes
who died expanding the frontiers of human knowledge.  They died for humanity.

Have you no hopes? No dreams?  I did, until Challenger ripped them out from
under me.
				Sean

P.S. I'm sorry if that sounded like a flame...I wrote what I thought and don't
like getting sarcastic responses like that one.