"Obviously a major malfunction ...."

[muff528 3]

Can't believe it's been 30 years! Watched the Challenger disaster from Central Florida. Clear and cold morning. Surrealistic sight.

[BillyVance 34]

I was in my senior year of high school in Huntsville, AL, AKA Rocket City USA. The entire city school system sent students home within the hour. Spent the rest of the day glued to the TV watching the disaster coverage.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[rocketscientist 0]

i watched it live on tv during science class in high school :(

My inner child is a mean little fucker

[Elisha 1]

rocketscientist

i watched it live on tv during science class in high school :(

5th grade for me. When it blew up, I was like, "uhhhh....I think something didn't go right" while the teachers then started crying (one of those buildings with three classrooms where they can slide the doors between classes). I think we finished the day.

[Rick 67]

Yes it was I was working outside in Orlando and stopped to watch the launch. Very sad day.

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!

[JohnMitchell 16]

Rick

Yes it was I was working outside in Orlando and stopped to watch the launch. Very sad day.

Eyewitness or on TV?

I was at work, up in the training department. Didn't see it live, just heard everyone talking about it.

So many chances to prevent it were squandered.

[StoppieJoe 7]

muff528

Can't believe it's been 30 years! Watched the Challenger disaster from Central Florida. Clear and cold morning. Surrealistic sight.

I was at the DZ in Lake Wales Fl in 2003 when Columbia blew up. Feb 1, 2003. I would have been 7. I was playing around the packing mat, probably playing Mrs. Pac-man eating a frozen push pop when I saw it happen on the TV that was in the hanger. I cant believe that was 13 years ago. I cant imagine how you feel with Challenger being 30 years ago.

Carpe Diem, Even if it kills me -- "Dead Poet's Society"

"Are you getting into trouble over there?" --- "Nothing that I'm going to admit to!"
____________________________________

[Rick 67]

JohnMitchell

***Yes it was I was working outside in Orlando and stopped to watch the launch. Very sad day.

Eyewitness or on TV?

I was at work, up in the training department. Didn't see it live, just heard everyone talking about it.

So many chances to prevent it were squandered.


eyewitness. This was back in the days when shuttle launches were not as routine as they came to be later. We all used stop whatever we were doing to go outside and watch the launches.

You can't be drunk all day if you don't start early!

[JohnMitchell 16]

Rick

eyewitness. This was back in the days when shuttle launches were not as routine as they came to be later. We all used stop whatever we were doing to go outside and watch the launches.

Wow. . . eyewitness to history. You'll never forget that.

[wolfriverjoe 1,523]

JohnMitchell

...So many chances to prevent it were squandered.

Only one really mattered. Two of the engineers that were closely involved with the SRBs at M-T told their superiors and NASA heads that the O-rings wouldn't seal properly in the cold weather and that the risk of a catastrophic failure was very real.

They were ignored.

One of them "came out" today. I heard the story without catching that it was the anniversary.

NPR link:http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/01/28/464744781/30-years-after-disaster-challenger-engineer-still-blames-himself

"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

[JohnMitchell 16]

"The night before the launch, Ebeling and four other engineers at NASA contractor Morton Thiokol had tried to stop the launch. Their managers and NASA overruled them."

This is why I don't back down on safety issues. I have pissed off my share of bosses and managers, and I really don't care.

[gowlerk 2,255]

Quote

This is why I don't back down on safety issues. I have pissed off my share of bosses and managers, and I really don't care.

I recently had to take over as ops manager at the dz. The first thing I had to do is this. I told them you either change, or shut down. It's better now.

Always remember the brave children who died defending your right to bear arms. Freedom is not free.

[BillyVance 34]

JohnMitchell

"The night before the launch, Ebeling and four other engineers at NASA contractor Morton Thiokol had tried to stop the launch. Their managers and NASA overruled them."

This is why I don't back down on safety issues. I have pissed off my share of bosses and managers, and I really don't care.

My dad worked for Thiokol's small rocket motor division in Huntsville, not involved in the shuttle program at all, but from time to time, he would take business trips to Thiokol's plant in Utah. Some time after the Challenger accident, he went out there and while driving the rental car to the plant, he saw somebody had spray-painted "MURDERERS" on the company sign at the entrance.

"Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban

[jonstark 8]

At that time I was working for Lockheed Space Ops or LSOC getting the Shuttles ready for each mission. When I started the boss took me aside and told me I would be making some really good money but "Do NOT make any long term commitments." After I had been there for about six or seven months I decided to look into living on a golf course near Orlando. On that day I was just pulling into the sales office and stopped to watch the launch. Needless to say the shock of seeing the explosion and obvious loss of the astonauts that had come through our shop to introduce themselves just days before was huge. I left the parking lot minutes later without so much as a glance at the golf course.

Jon

[JohnMitchell 16]

Wow!

Pretty prescient boss. . .