Do you remember where you were when the space shuttle Challenger blew up 30yrs ago?

[Stopsignhank]

Working at Hughes Aircraft when someone said it happened. The geek of the group then walked up and said that it was so many feet high and so many nautical miles downrange when it blew up.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Somewhere in Upstate NY. I was 17 years old at the time.

 

[CraKaJaX]

Wasn't even in the womb yet....

 

[Carson Dyle]

Nope. Don't remember it.

I know where I was living and working at the time, but the event doesn't conjure up any memories.

 

[Spydermag68]

I was taking a test in high school.

 

[Mike64]

Not a clue. In fact, I had to do a brief mental calculation just to figure out that I was a senior in college at the time. (But then, neither of my parents ever remembered where they were when JFK was shot, either.) I think in this case, though, the reason it doesn't especially stand out in my memory is that, as terrible as it was, it didn't strike me as totally unexpectable (to coin a word), however actually "unexpected" it was, let alone "barely imaginable" like the events of 9/11/2001, for example...

ETA: I've actually always been slightly amazed that space travel hasn't been even more deadly than it has been, all things considered. Though I guess with the amount of money and brain-power thrown at it, and the potential repercussions of catastrophic failure, it shouldn't be all that surprising...

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Watching the launch live at home.

 

[Spacehead]

I had called off work that day because i was sick. Never heard about it till the next day.

 

[ccryder]

8th Grade. 15 minutes from where Christa McAullife taught, so it was a big deal for everybody. Nobody knew exactly what was going on at first, and then the teachers shuffled everybody back to their classrooms quickly with little conversation.

 

[Darwin333]

I was watching it live on TV in my elementary school.

 

[jayzds]

I was watching it at school in 1st grade. I remember my teacher being really sad after the explosion as she was friends with Christa McAullife and was involved with something in the space program.

 

[Jeff7]

The anniversary of why you should listen to the goddamn engineers when they tell you in no uncertain terms that their design is likely to fail because it's being used in improper or untested conditions.


I wasn't even in kindergarten at the time, so I don't really remember anything about it, but I probably would have been at home when it happened.

 

[NoTine42]

The anniversary of why you should listen to the goddamn engineers when they tell you in no uncertain terms that their design is likely to fail because it's being used in improper or untested conditions.


I wasn't even in kindergarten at the time, so I don't really remember anything about it, but I probably would have been at home when it happened.

I saw this haunting reminder on Reddit yesterday

 

[Insomniator]

Not that old

 

[clamum]

Bustin one in Mayne's mom's pooper

No comment, just an infraction.

Perknose
Forum Director

 

[ElFenix]

KISD's outdoor learning center in katy, texas.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

I remember the awesome jokes that followed.

 

[Captante]

Left lane of I-95 Northbound passing the rest-area in Milford CT. (heard on the radio)

 

[stargazr]

At home from work sick with the flu.

 

[Mai72]

I was doing Maynes momma.

Oh yea....

 

[Mai72]

Bustin one in Mayne's mom's pooper

Omg!! Rly???

Post smarter.

Perknose
Forum Director

 

[Jeff7]

The anniversary of why you should listen to the goddamn engineers when they tell you in no uncertain terms that their design is likely to fail because it's being used in improper or untested conditions.


I wasn't even in kindergarten at the time, so I don't really remember anything about it, but I probably would have been at home when it happened.

I saw this haunting reminder on Reddit yesterday

I guess the engineers don't always get it right though: They thought the thing would explode right on the launchpad.
After a puff of gray smoke came out of the side of the booster after ignition, spent fuel temporarily formed a seal that prolonged the flight.

"Figure 10" section: Technically-ignorant, pigheaded fucks in management were the ones to say that it was ok to launch, condemning seven people to death, along with the unfortunate engineers who did not opt to bypass the proper channels to prevent the disaster.

 

[CZroe]

I remember the awesome jokes that followed.

I don't remember the event as much as these. Around 1989/1990 I remember staying with a friend from school. His father had to explain to me why their beat-up van was called The Challenger: "Because it could explode at any moment."

 

[WaTaGuMp]

I don't remember the event as much as these. Around 1990 I remember staying with a friend from school. His father had to explain to me why their beat-up van was called The Challenger: "Because it could explode at any moment."

Where did the space shuttles astronauts spend their vacation? Scattered all over the coast of Florida.

 

[notposting]

3rd grade I think, was in a classroom during recess (Pacific time) to watch with a few other space nerds and get scarred. Even then, we pretty much knew that wasn't right.

Columbia was on TV in the break room at work as I left. Same thing - you know that shit ain't right. Listened on the radio all the way home anyway.


The Ars writeup about a hypothetical rescue mission for Columbia, maybe two years ago? :'(