25 years ago today the Challenger exploded do you remember where you were?

[indykid]

Jan 27, 28, and Feb 1. are the worst days in the history of the space program. Although I would love to ride into space, the week of Jan 27 through Feb 1 would not be a week to fly.

How soon we forget yesterday, Jan 27, 1968 when the fire in Apollo 1 killed Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee. Home watching tv when they broke in with the story.

Jan 28, 1986 was Challenger. At work.
Feb 1, 2003 was Columbia. At an Ice Skating Competition in Troy, Ohio.

Words alone can't describe the sorrow.

 

[grizman]

Hunter Army Airfield, GA. Active duty. 1st inf 75TH transitioning to 1BN 75TH Ranger Regiment on 3 FEB 1986. Tragic losses that day!

 

[Westside]

I was 9 months old when Challenger exploded. and I was at school (senior year in high school) when Columbia crashed.

 

[copper]

Sitting in the hospital in Peru waiting for my son to arrive..He was born the next day....

 

[Hillbilly]

I was in 6th grade. My mom was a teacher at that school and I saw her in the lunch room. She told me not to tell anyone, but Challenger had exploded that morning. Right after lunch, they had the whole school meet in the auditorium and we all watched the news the rest of the day.

It was a sad day, and one i've always remembered.

 

[Benny]

I was alive, but way too young to remember.



What a tragedy.

 

[riverman67]

I was eating lunch in the ISU "grill", at that time it was an underground Hardees with a giant TV. The place was capable of holding hundreds of people and it went dead silent for about 10 minutes.
Later that day at work I found out that company that I was working for has manufatured a couple of parts that were very near the Oring that failed. It was a horrible day all around

 

[Cemetery-man]

I was at home watching it all on TV.

The Columbia tragedy was the hardest for me since I was at the Cape to see the very 1st shuttle launch.

 

[philo]

Most of you are making me feel old too. Watched the take-off live between classes in grad school. I wasn't too old to cry - It took the wind out of me for sure.

 

[Miller Tyme]

Sitting in my living room with the ex-wife having a cup of coffee and trying to warm up a half frozen stray puppy we had just found by our back door.

Damn, that was 4 dogs and 2 wifes ago

 

[ralphb72]

Feeling old here too. 2nd Armored Division, Fort Hood, TX. We were in the field training exercise.

 

[CorvetteTom]

I was stationed at RAF Upper Heyford, UK... a bunch of us guys were sitting in the rec room watching it. It was truly a sad day.

 

[Zimm1001]

Junior in high school. Three quarters of the way down the East Hallway.

 

[jblomenberg16]

I don't remember exactly which class or teacher off hand, but do remember watching it on TV at school. It would have been in second grade. I do remember that it was a big deal for all of the teachers. I also remember our teacher asking us to bow our head while we prayed for the astronauts and their families. Yep, we prayed, in school.

I remember watching the replay of it over and over on the news, and remember all of the theories going around about the possibility the crew survived the initial explosion only to die when they hit the water below. I kept thinking how horrible that must have been, and couldn't believe they couldn't jump out and parachute back down.

It was a sad day for sure, but I hope that those astronauts' legacy is a lot of lessons learned and improvements made in technology.



Now, I do remember exactly where I was when the Columbia disintigrated. I was driving home on I-465 just south of where I-70 splits off. I had been out the night before with some buddies in Indy. My wife called and asked if I knew what just happened. I was pretty hung over, and not in the mood to talk (just wanted to get home and go to bed) and made a smart arse comment something like "I dunno, the space shuttle blew up." The phone went silent...and then she said how did you know?

 

[grizman]

We are not old, just seasoned! HOOAH!

 

[T-rav]

I was 3 when this happened I dont remember a thing about it. I remember there was a movie about it when I was a bit older. IF I remember correctly. As for Columbia I believe I was sittin at Cici's Pizza on 82nd st in Indy watching the coverage of it on tv.

 

[DragonGunner]

I was working at Lexicon Music Co. in Warsaw, IN....we were told...but it just didn't grip me until I got home an saw it on TV...

 

[ThrottleJockey]

4th grade at Unionville elementary watching the first teacher go into space. The shuttle was still so new then that we watched every launch in school. I still remember a lot of jokes that came from that one, How many astronauts fit in a VW?, What were the teachers last words?......

 

[Suprtek]

I was a year out of high school working at a hardware store. Once we heard about it, all the employees and the customers were gathered in the TV and stereo section of the store watching the coverage.

 

[JayPea]

For Challenger, I was in 4th or 5th grade, and I remember the class getting shuffled into the library where a tv was broadcasting shortly after an announcement from the principal notifying us of the event. Later that day I remember walking home from school talking about it with a friend and getting home and watching the news with my family. My dad told me I would always remember that day and I do. For Columbia, it was a very awkward day. I was working a seminar in Houston when I heard the news - and we had a team from NASA in the seminar. We wasted no time in pulling the NASA team aside and notifying them of what transpired. They all left immediately to head back to JSC.