And Remembering the Challenger Disaster.....

[poltr1]

As recalled by several of my LJ-friends today.....


In memoriam

STS-51L
Francis R. Scobee
Mihael J. Smith
Judith A. Resnik
Ellison S. Onizuka
Ronald E. McNair
Gregory B. Jarvis
Christa McAuliffe



(I originally wrote this piece in early January 1996, for the Starward Bound newsletter. And yes, I'm aware I got the date wrong.)

Where were you on the morning of January 26, 1986? I remember that
day very well. I was working as a student assistant at the University
at Buffalo in one of the computer sites. I was in a corridor near some
of the graduate student offices when a colleague of mine came up and said
"Did you hear what happened about the shuttle?" I responded, "No. What
happened?" He answered incredulously, "It blew up!"

It wasn't until later that evening that I was able to see the videotape of
the Challenger explosion for the first time. It was then that I first felt
the full impact of what had happened. In the following week, the image of
the explosion was replayed dozens of times.

A few weeks later, one of the networks was airing "The Empire Strikes Back".
I could not watch it, for all I could think of was space carnage. I couldn't
even listen to "Countdown", a song by the Canadian rock band Rush about the
first space shuttle flight.

This was my generation's JFK assassination.

What of the seven astronauts that were aboard? All we seem to hear about
was Christa McAuliffe, the "Teacher in Space". Other astronauts had their
stories too: Ron McNair had brought a saxophone up with him, so he could
record a solo for Jean Michel Jarre's album "Rendezvous". Greg Jarvis, a
payload specialist from Hughes electronics, brought up a University of
Buffalo flag, as he had graduated from there. The following year, one of
the new engineering buildings was renamed in his honor.

The Challenger disaster hit many of us fans hard. Cincinnati-based fan and
filker Joe Ellis was teaching a 5th grade percussion class -- which included
a nephew of Virgil "Gus" Grissom -- when it happened.

Some say that NASA has never fully recovered from the Challenger disaster.
In recent years, NASA's budget has been slashed, and many people were
implored to take advantage of early retirement programs. One derisive name
for NASA that has been circulating recently is "Not A Soul Around".

I don't believe NASA should be abolished. Nor should they be dying a
"starvation death" like they are now. There are simply too many talented
scientists and engineers around that would have difficulty finding other
jobs elsewhere, due to their specialized knowledge. Also, if there are no
jobs for those trained in mathematics and science, it provides little
incentive for students to study these subjects in school. A recent public
service announcement stated that the United States placed 14th in education
behind other countries. I'm concerned that our ranking will continue to
fall if we keep making short-term moves (such as budget cuts) without
considering the long-term effects.

The NASA website has a nice "Rememberance Day" Flash animation on their home page to commemorate all of their fallen heroes, from Challenger, Apollo 1, and Columbia. Check it out. Also visit the NASA History Office webpage for the Challenger mission profile.

Comments

[gorgeousgary]

Excellent article. It's sad that the last paragraph is still proving true.

IIRC, Resnick was the first Jewish astronaut.

[poltr1]

Thank you.

I believe Resnick was also a member of the IEEE and a member of a sorority -- Alpha Epsilon Phi, if I remember correctly.