25 years after Challenger

[Katie]

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Challenger accident.

I grew up in a town that was very closely tied to the shuttle program, Huntsville, AL. I went to Challenger Elementary and walked by a picture of those astronauts for years but never really thought about it.

When I was grown, sitting at my desk at work a couple years ago, I had a gentleman sit down at my desk on this day. (I was a customer service rep for a bank at that time). He didn't want anything.....just wanted to talk about the accident. He was in charge of the investigation of th O-rings, which were a big reason for the accident. It was haunting listening to him and after that I never forgot this day.

The biggest thing I remember from talking with him was that the astronauts were alive until they hit the water. Unconscious but alive. It made me think a little about that picture I walked by all those years ago.

Feb. First is the anniversary of the Columbia accident. I watched that one. Surreal. I think it takes a brave person to be an astronaut knowing how very wrong things could go.


Anyone remember these accidents? Where you were, etc?