In Memory of the Challenger

Debi

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35 years ago today the Challenger explosion happened. Where were you when this tragedy took place in 1986?

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I remember it well. I was at home, had recently been laid-off from the job I had at the time, and had the flu anyway. Sitting in my kitchen with a cup of coffee and watching the launch on live TV.

I was stunned, shocked, in tears because I knew the crew had no chance. I called my best friend and woke him up, he was also shocked and immediately turned on his own TV.

This one of those moments you never forget, like 9/11, the Apollo 11 landing, Kennedy's assasination (I was only six then but remember my parents and grandparents sobbing).


Every time I hear those words "You are GO for throttle-up", I am there again.
 
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I was at work at the office down by the Skyway Bridge in St. Pete. We often could see the launches once they hit a certain level in the sky. To my horror, that very distinctive rocket plume of a mission gone terribly wrong hung in the sky for a very long time. It was much as you describe, GoneWest....everything just stopped that day. I had kids in school who were watching the launch that day, as were many children across the country. Once past the initial shock, many of us talked about the best way to help our kids process this.
 
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At work. Someone came into our bay and said the shuttle had exploded, we spent the next few hours watching TV coverage in a conference room.
 
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On our Day of Remembrance, we pause to honor all members of the NASA family who have perished in the pursuit of exploration, including the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger, and Columbia. #NASARemembers
 
I can’t believe it’s been 35 years. It seems like yesterday. Where does the time go. This was such a tragic event. I think the entire country felt this in the heart.
 
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My mom had called us into the living room or told us what had happened. I wasn’t even five at the time but there were just things that stuck with me even at a young age. She kept us informed with what was going on no matter what it was.
 
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