In reply to stukndapast :
Wow, thanks for sharing this link. We've had the amazing experience of spending a day at the Space Center with my wife's friend who I referred to earlier. We stood in front of the models of the solid rocket boosters and the fuel tank while he explained the system failure. Interestingly, what we saw wasn't an explosion, but was a result of the solid booster pushing the shuttle sideways, resulting in it breaking apart.
He still works in the field.
Sitting a lunch table in junior high. I quipped "wouldn't it be funny if the shuttle blew up?" (Just in the sense that it was a super hyped "pinnacle of man's scientific and technological achievements" event and it would be amusing if it fell on its face.) Moments later, a teacher fired up the PA to inform us that the shuttle crashed. The reality was not amusing at all, and even though I know that the offhand comments of a stupid kid have no ability to alter world events, I feel a nagging sense of guilt to this day.
My Brother and I drove out to Edwards Air force base to watch the First shuttle land ,
it was very cold out in the desert that day , we heard the Sonic boom and saw the Shuttle drop out of the sky , it only took a minute or 2 for it to land , and we were so far away you could not see much........But we were there !
Then decades later all of us in Southern california area watched as the Shuttle on the back of a 747 did a few laps before landing at LAX ,
Finally it sat outside behind the Ralphs Grocery so we could see it from a couple hundred feet away before it was put on a trailer and hauled 15 miles or so across LA to the Science Museum by USC ,
Lots of shuttle history in SoCal :)
The Orlando local hero John Young was at the controls for that first shuttle landing.
I was cooling out a horse at the the Orlando training track (Ben White Raceway) while watching the landing on a tv sitting on a tack trunk. I was amazed then, and am still amazed today at that perfectly executed dead stick landing.
I was in my little 30 X 30ft. box inside a building, snapping Tensiles & Charpies listening to the only radio station you can get inside a metal box inside a metal building. Tough day all around ....
I was working at my father in law's meat market grinding hamburger meat. I went up front to take a break and my FIL told me. Being quite the joker, I thought he was pulling my leg. He wasn't.
Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:Sat there in shock hoping for some miracle and knowing it wasn't possible.
I remember the TV announcers talking about how the crew cabin was built to survive events like this and sitting there hoping to see it parachuting down. Then they just showed small bits and pieces raining down for a long time.
spitfirebill said:Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:Sat there in shock hoping for some miracle and knowing it wasn't possible.
I remember the TV announcers talking about how the crew cabin was built to survive events like this and sitting there hoping to see it parachuting down. Then they just showed small bits and pieces raining down for a long time.
IIRC, the cabin was largely intact when it hit the ocean. Somewhere I remember reading that NASA was still getting telemetry, too.
In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :
I was a freshman in college watching Columbia land. I remember the pilot putting the nose wheel right on the center line and thinking how cool that was considering everything involved.
In reply to stukndapast :
That was fantastic. Thank you for posting.
stukndapast said:...Amazingly, there are still people that were involved in the decision to ignore the engineers and launch anyway that say that they made the right decision and wouldn't change a thing.
I have a book on data presentation that make the contention that one of the factors may have been the rather horrid presentation they did about the dangers. It is what you would think of when you think of bad PowerPoint presentations. The launch temp / ring failure data presentation format was particularly bad.
I suspect it was not a primary cause, but it certainly didn't help.
I watched it live in the pilots lounge at an FBO in Raleigh. I had just landed and the person at the desk told me they were watching it there. I walked in just as Challenger left the launch pad.
In reply to californiamilleghia :
Yes, my dad was the airfield manager at Vandenberg AFB during this time and was involved in setting up VAFB for the next shuttle launch after this one. Was supposed to be launched and landed at VAFB. Of course this scrapped that plan but VAFB still has the road modifications to move the shuttle from the airfield to the launch pad. For years the gantry to load/unload the shuttle from the 747 transport was there, gone now though. I grew up on that airfield.
I watched it happen. Home sick on the 28th. That's some heavy E36 M3 for a 6 year old aviation nut to handle.
I was sleeping when it happened. I was working nights at the time. When woke up the wife told me about it. Funny thing I was reading a novel about an emergency shuttle landing on Easter Island.
aircooled said:I have a book on data presentation that make the contention that one of the factors may have been the rather horrid presentation they did about the dangers. It is what you would think of when you think of bad PowerPoint presentations. The launch temp / ring failure data presentation format was particularly bad.
I suspect it was not a primary cause, but it certainly didn't help.
What's the title of that book? Part of my job is helping people put together effective presentations, and this would be a good example to use.
spitfirebill said:Purple Frog (Forum Supporter) said:Sat there in shock hoping for some miracle and knowing it wasn't possible.
I remember the TV announcers talking about how the crew cabin was built to survive events like this and sitting there hoping to see it parachuting down. Then they just showed small bits and pieces raining down for a long time.
It originally did have that, it was removed to haul more cargo, along with various other safety systems. My dad remembers being in the building housing the pieces as they were brought in. He had to identify their systems while crews were bringing in bodies in anything that didn't resemble a normal method. They did not want news crews to see it.
wlkelley3 said:In reply to californiamilleghia :
Yes, my dad was the airfield manager at Vandenberg AFB during this time and was involved in setting up VAFB for the next shuttle launch after this one. Was supposed to be launched and landed at VAFB. Of course this scrapped that plan but VAFB still has the road modifications to move the shuttle from the airfield to the launch pad. For years the gantry to load/unload the shuttle from the 747 transport was there, gone now though. I grew up on that airfield.
I was always hoping for a launch at Vandenberg , I would have camped out there for days waiting for it :) but that was not to be ......
Can you get very close when they launch the SpaceX rockets etc from Vandenberg ?
In reply to californiamilleghia :
Not really. Launches go out South VAFB and that part is very secure. If it's clear can see it go up but not the actual launch off the pad. Maybe by boat as it is close to the shore line but they'll probably run you off if you get too close during a launch. You know, for safety. Maybe boat and a telescope.
Caveat: That's what I was told by those I know still around there. I don't live anywhere near there anymore, I'm now in north Alabama. In the same place that Space Force Command HQ will be. Although by then I'll be fully retired. Work Army Aviation Command now.
You'll need to log in to post.
