In 1983, I watched the Challenger launch from Cape Canaveral on its 2nd mission with first American woman, Sally Ride onboard. Experiencing a launch in person, whether its shuttles or rockets, is an amazing sight to behold as it leaves this earth to go to the beyond.
Sadly, on January 28th, 1986 at exactly 11:39am our history changed tragically. 73 seconds into it’s 10th mission, the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded killing all 7 astronauts and stunning people all over the world as the launch was also being broadcast. Those 7 members were husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, scientists, military, and a school teacher. They were living a dream. They wanted to continue to change the world, just as astronauts and many missions had successfully, and some tragically, had tried to achieve before. They were excited about the mission they were setting out to achieve, but I can’t even imagine what was going on in their minds when they realized they were in trouble and there wasn’t a way to abort the mission in the final seconds.
I was in elementary school and my class didn’t watch the launch broadcast, but I remember leaving school, my mom being very upset, and the news of the Challenger Explosion reported all over the Tv. It was one of the first time I remember a tragedy being replayed over and over again for what seemed like forever.
It’s been more than 30 years since the Challenger Disaster, as well as a few others since. Our world has learned so much from them, and though NASA ended the Space Shuttle Program in 2011, it seems that the mistakes and tragedies, no matter how long ago they were, are always fresh in our minds and constant reminders that life can change at any second.
I do hope one day NASA will resume the Space Shuttle Program so that the hundreds of missions, lives lost, and lessons learned can empower future generations to come and take us further than we’ve imagined.
In Memory of
Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka,
Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik
Brandi's World 