A couple photos from my past...
I was working @ JSC when the Challenger blew up. I was the (then) Video Tech for George S. W. Abbey, the Director of NASA, in Houston. I was in the lobby of BLDG. 1 when the news hit the monitor. You could have heard a pin drop!
It was surreal...
This was the response from the global public:
@m15t3r_dr4g0n Iβve always wondered, was the realization of how bad it was hit instantaneously or did it take a bit to sink in? I know sometimes the mind tries to find any sliver of hope in situations like that.
For the Engineers, it was always a possibility. They never thought it was likely, though, since so much went into every mission. This time, though, part of the work was done by private contractors and caused an O-ring issue that was catastrophic.
The most horrifying part of it, however, was that the capsule, built to break free in an accident, did. They were all live & sending telemetry until they hit the ocean at 200mph.
After the second shuttle broke apart over Texas and 5 other States, I left NASA for good.
@m15t3r_dr4g0n Horrific.
@m15t3r_dr4g0n I cannot imagine. Amazing that you were there.
I literally had my finger on the challenger when it exploded.
My mom was making me clean the house & in order to watch the launch, I spent a long while cleaning the screen.
I remember that I had my hand over it & then when I moved to wipe it was gone.
My mom found me kneeling in front of the TV with tears streaming down my face. I still can't believe it, years later.
I have always believed Life is a series of blessings & curses.
Sometimes, both!
I would not change any part of it, though. If we did that, we wouldn't be who we are - for better or for worse.
@m15t3r_dr4g0n Wise words. π π
Thanks! π
@m15t3r_dr4g0n
Emotionally I can only imagine what being there was like during & the days/weeks after.
Couldn't hug you then, pls take one now.π€
@TempestFugit π€ π€ π€
@m15t3r_dr4g0n I'm definitely younger than that - I was watching the launch live in the school gym.
I was in Florida for the launch of STS-26. As a space-nut kid, watching that plume rise into the air was both awe-inspiring and super-stressful, worried I was going to see a repeat of Challenger.