The NASA space shuttle Challenger exploded 40 years ago, on January 28, 1986, just 73 seconds after liftoff. The disaster claimed the lives of all seven astronauts aboard, including Christa McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire who would have been the first civilian in space.
“The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives,” President Regan said in an address to the nation that night. “We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye.”
by Busy_Yesterday9455
21 Comments
It was so cold that morning and I was in Mr. Lancaster’s world geography class at Orange Park high school approximately 100 miles away. He was the best teacher by far at that school and lets us go outside and watch. The air was so clear from the cold it was apparent from even that far away that there was something different about the plume we would usually see after 5 years of successful shuttle launches. I remember there was confusion and Mr. Lancaster brought a tv into the class after and when some students started getting visibly upset he turned off the tv and let anyone say what they wanted to say and consoled some kids. It was supposed to be the first teacher in space so almost every school was watching everywhere.
This and 911 is something you never forget. I was 8 years old and watched in class in So cal.
R.I.P. Challenger Crew 🫡
And I still remember watching this with my elementary school in the gym
Deflagration?
I remember watching at school. Very sad. RIP to those very brave astronauts
My wife saw it happen in person
Did they die instantly? Hell of a way to go, if not.
I wasn’t old enough to have seen it. But I remember being about 8 or 9 and my mother (herself a teacher) telling me about it, and how the teacher’s children were watching it take off and saw the subsequent explosion and how those kids watched their mother blow up and die.
I’m pretty sure part of the reason I’m in therapy now was from how stricken I felt hearing about kids watching their mom blow up and die in front of their eyes.
It didn’t “explode”. It was torn apart by aerodynamic forces when the breakup of the booster system turned Challenger sideways while traveling at mach two.
The big plume came from ignition of the liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in the big tank, triggered by the failing (and partially loose) booster pushing through the tank.
We were in first grade, they wheeled the tv in and we were all excited for something we had never seen. Space fever was at an all time high, then as the ship was just flying there it blew up and we all were confused like is this real?! Some people went the window, others started crying some kid said whoaaa. What a memory
Kaboom at 8 seconds.
Completely preventable, btw. The engineers told leadership that the O-rings (sections around the two solid fuel boosters on either side) were not rated for the temperatures that morning, and that they should postpone. They didn’t listen.
I watched this live in 3rd or 4th grade. The teacher turned off the tv real quick and we did a group reading exercise instead.
I.. never knew there was video of the explosion.
Is it true Big Bird was meant to be on that flight?
I hate to say it but it was the Jews
All those people in the challenger that “died”
Somehow we’re still living under different names. Look it up, don’t be fooled.
I still go cold watching this…..
I was in an all day meeting that day… Didn’t find out about it until I was in the pub of the hotel for supper…
One of those moments in your life where you remember exactly where you were when it happened…
We watched in class and the kid who was always in trouble let the shocked pause grow after it exploded.
He then said “goddamn women drivers” into the stillness. We didn’t see him for a while after that.
We talked about it for a week at least in grade 5. I hadn’t developed an interest in science yet but it was clear this was a horrible tragedy. When it came out how preventable it was and NASA itself was at fault I was so incredibly disappointed. Who didn’t have a toy space shuttle back then? To know one exploded needlessly is disgusting still today. Same with Columbia.