22 years ago I was in 8th Grade

[smupony94]

Space Shuttle Challenger

Mission 51-L Launch Decision

On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger was launched for the last time. The decision to launch the Challenger was not simple. Certainly no one dreamed that the Shuttle would explode less than two minutes after lift-off. Much has been said and written about the decision to launch. Was the decision to launch correct? How was the decision made? Could anyone have foreseen the subsequent explosion? Should the decision-making procedure have been modified? These questions are examined in this case study.

[Water Pony]

Thanks for the rememberance.

[jtstang]

I was walking through the old Umphrey Lee student center when I caught this on one of the bigscreens in the lounge. Sad day indeed.

[OC Mustang]

"...and they slipped the surly bonds of earth, and touched the face of God...."

Godspeed to the crew of STS-51L Challenger...

[EastStang]

My parents were in Cocoa Beach, Florida sitting on a porch watching the launch and saw the huge explosion. Then they ran inside to watch TV to see if it was the spaceship or the fuel tanks.

[George S. Patton]

I was a junior in high school when I had come out of my math class when some friends stopped me in the hallway and told me what happened. Couldn't believe it.

[ponyte]

I was a 3rd year med student on the labor and delivery ward of a state run hospital that day. Believe me, I was up to my elbows in umbilical cords and the women around me had no interest whatsoever in anything other than their labor. It wasn't until much later that day that I got any details. As tragic as it was, life literally was going on around me.

[FWMustangGirl]

I was in 5th grade, watching it live on TV in our classroom.

[ThadFilms]

2nd grade.... watched it live in class too.


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Really one of those surreal memories... to be watching live in class. Wow.

[expony18]

wow! i didnt realize how old this board was! it's unfortunate that each generation has it's tragedy

[Peruna_Ate_My_Rolex]

I remember watching it in the 6th grade. I also remember being woken up a few years ago by the Columbia explosion which, sadly, will have it's 5th anniversary this week as well.

[Mustang98]

I grew up in Clear Lake which is the suburb of Houston that serves Johnson Space Center. I was in 4th grade when it happend and it rocked our community hard. Several classmates had dad's who were astronauts and space program employees. Actually, the launch was not carried live that day. There were so many delayed/cancelled launch attempts for Challenger, that the teachers and networks got tired of gearing up for the launch by January 28th. An L.A. station covered the launch live and then CNN and the other networks made the coverage live. To be fair, there were so many replays of the launch from the NASA feed that all of us young and old felt like we were seeing it live, but it was a quick replay. Certainly a sad day. An avoidable tradgedy in retrospect, but political momentum and lack of safety led to Challenger.

[FWMustangGirl]

I remember watching it in the 6th grade. I also remember being woken up a few years ago by the Columbia explosion which, sadly, will have it's 5th anniversary this week as well.

I remember the Columbia explosion well too. We were eating breakfast at a restaurant with our oldest daughter, who was not yet a year old. We heard what we were pretty sure was the sonic boom when it passed over. Then we got home and saw on the news what had happened. I cannot believe it has already been 5 years.

[Junior]

Was in 7th grade down in Houston. What's worse is that my Boy Scout troop was going to be visited by Ellison Onizuka upon his return as he was friends with one of the dads of my Scout troop. I really wish I would have had the chance to meet him.

[SMUPhil]

I remember I was only a little kid, but I was with my parents in our front yard in West Palm Beach (we can see the shuttle launches, even though they are way up in the Cocoa Beach area), and seeing the explosion. So sad.