I witnessed the Challenger accident first hand. I was working in Firing room 2 that day and was looking out of the giant window during the launch. My job was finished at that point so I was free to watch the launch. The thing I remember most was the fact that it was so cold that day. I usually would go outside and watch the launches. That day I was standing in FR2 and I could see my breath inside. I was wearing a B2 bomber jacket inside on top of that, just to give you the idea of how cold it was. There was ice all over the pad and they almost scrubbed it because of the danger the ice would pose to the vehicle. The temperature warmed enough to melt the ice, so the countdown continued. Which surprised me because it was so damn cold! I remember saying this out loud. Ignoring the cold for a second, the launch was beautiful and looked perfect! Then when the vehicle disintegrated, I instantly thought RTLS (Return To Launch Site). In the event of an emergence the shuttle would basically fly back to the runway at Kennedy. I kept looking for the Shuttle, but didn't see anything but debris. It took me a few minutes to realize the vehicle was completely destroyed. There was a small glimmer of hope when several minutes later we saw a parachute on some of the monitors. This turned out to be from the nose cone of one of the Solid Rocket Boosters(SRB). The firing rooms were as quite as I had ever seen them. I pin drop could have been heard. It was one of the most tragic days I have ever had! My own thoughts turned inward to think through my job...had I done everything correctly...what caused the accident...did the main engines blowup. I am sure the others were having similiar thoughts. The thing that the public may not realize is that the space program and all its workers are like one giant family! We all watch out for each other, and especially the Astronauts! The management decisions made that day were done with the safety of the Astronauts in mind. Nothing else matters! There was no conspiracy; no one was aware of the SRB issues until after the fact. The temperatures were in the known operational safety ranges. So losing the Astronauts was like losing a Brother, Sister, Mother, or Father. The NASA management then were all very intellegent men. The bueacracy in place at NASA is there to ensure the safety of the vehicle and the lives of those working with it.
I have read some of the comments from others. The article is very accurate. I was there, I know! I recall walking down to the FR consoles and looking at the displays. I remember the speed and altitude of the vehicle before the telemetry stopped. The screens were all frozen with the same data. The fact as to whether the vehicle exploded or did a fast burn is irrelavant! The fact that the Astronauts died is! The greatest respect we can pay to these men and women was to make the program safer, but also to never give up on the exploration. We are all meant to be explorers, whether its scientific, business, or flying through space...its what we are and how we should always remain.
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I witnessed the Challenger accident first hand. I was working in Firing room 2 that day and was looking out of the giant window during the launch. My job was finished at that point so I was free to watch the launch. The thing I remember most was the fact that it was so cold that day. I usually would go outside and watch the launches. That day I was standing in FR2 and I could see my breath inside. I was wearing a B2 bomber jacket inside on top of that, just to give you the idea of how cold it was. There was ice all over the pad and they almost scrubbed it because of the danger the ice would pose to the vehicle. The temperature warmed enough to melt the ice, so the countdown continued. Which surprised me because it was so damn cold! I remember saying this out loud. Ignoring the cold for a second, the launch was beautiful and looked perfect! Then when the vehicle disintegrated, I instantly thought RTLS (Return To Launch Site). In the event of an emergence the shuttle would basically fly back to the runway at Kennedy. I kept looking for the Shuttle, but didn't see anything but debris. It took me a few minutes to realize the vehicle was completely destroyed. There was a small glimmer of hope when several minutes later we saw a parachute on some of the monitors. This turned out to be from the nose cone of one of the Solid Rocket Boosters(SRB). The firing rooms were as quite as I had ever seen them. I pin drop could have been heard. It was one of the most tragic days I have ever had! My own thoughts turned inward to think through my job...had I done everything correctly...what caused the accident...did the main engines blowup. I am sure the others were having similiar thoughts. The thing that the public may not realize is that the space program and all its workers are like one giant family! We all watch out for each other, and especially the Astronauts! The management decisions made that day were done with the safety of the Astronauts in mind. Nothing else matters! There was no conspiracy; no one was aware of the SRB issues until after the fact. The temperatures were in the known operational safety ranges. So losing the Astronauts was like losing a Brother, Sister, Mother, or Father. The NASA management then were all very intellegent men. The bueacracy in place at NASA is there to ensure the safety of the vehicle and the lives of those working with it. I have read some of the comments from others. The article is very accurate. I was there, I know! I recall walking down to the FR consoles and looking at the displays. I remember the speed and altitude of the vehicle before the telemetry stopped. The screens were all frozen with the same data. The fact as to whether the vehicle exploded or did a fast burn is irrelavant! The fact that the Astronauts died is! The greatest respect we can pay to these men and women was to make the program safer, but also to never give up on the exploration. We are all meant to be explorers, whether its scientific, business, or flying through space...its what we are and how we should always remain.