The Velociweiler Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Space Shuttle exploded after take-off. Believe it or not, 25 years ago today. I was on the Glamorgan and we were doing the coldest ADEX in history just off the Isle of Wight. Where were you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kspriss Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was at RAF Syerston, doing my Air Cadet Gliding course. We were all off flying during the day, and only found out in the mess in the evening. It was a very quiet and subdued night. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Bradley Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 (edited) In bed with a migraine; I didn't hear about it until the next day. Totally paralysed with shock when I heard - while you mentally realise this CAN happen, you don't imagine this sort of this ACTUALLY happening. Edited January 29, 2011 by Paul Bradley Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XV107 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 (edited) Playing hockey after school. Got in to the changing room afterwards and someone said 'The Space Shuttle's blown up! Bet the Russians did it and there's going to be a war!' Since this was before everyone had a mobile phones & text messaging, and given that there was no radio or TV in the school sports block, I put it down to the sort of daft banter you'd get at school, not least because of the bit about the Russians. Little did I realise that Newsround (I jest not) had broken the story, cutting away from Phillip Schofield (remember when he was a kid's TV presenter?), and the chap who'd come out with the line had been told this by his brother who'd wandered along from home because the pair of them were buying fish & chips that evening and he'd come to pick his brother up before heading off to the chippy. Got changed, ten minutes walk back home, into house, 'hello' to parents, into front room where six o'clock news coming on, and found out that it was all horribly true. Edited January 29, 2011 by XV107 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve McArthur Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was in my final year of public school (USA). I saw it live on TV. I skipped classes for the rest of the day and hung out in the AV room that had a TV. For the start of every class i went to my class told my instructor where I was and what was known. By that point most of my teachers knew I was already enrolled in college for aerospace engineering planning to be an astronaut after graduation. After Challenger I expected manned spaceflight to be done in the US for at least a decade. During college I started working for a small company that specializes in flight test and simulation. I'm still there and can't imagine a more interesrimg career. Pardon any typos sent from my Android. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obi-Jiff Kenobi Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 (edited) That's an interesting insight, Steve. I was also still at school at the time, and I came home to find it on Newsround (a BBC news programme for children). I can still remember the shock I felt at the time. Being fascinated by space travel, I'd read lots about it, and knew that there had been fatalities, but I was too young to have known about them at the time, so this was my first real experience of a fatal spacecraft accident. The image of the cloud of smoke hanging in the air, with the two SRBs arcing away from it, will stay with me to my dying day. Edited January 29, 2011 by Obi-Jiff Kenobi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hooded Claw Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Walking through the Mess at Valley. Quiet night that one. THC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimbuna Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was on holiday in the Lake District and saw it on the news on my bedroom tv. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonymousDFB1 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was at work at RAF Chicksands and watched it on the live NASA feed. It was an eerie experience there was a gasp from about 50 or so people and then silence for about a minute before people started murmuring, some even left the floor in tears. It was no more than 5 minutes later that I heard the first lack humour joke. took a lot of self restraint not to slap the airman concerned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewE Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 In my digs in Fallowfield, Manchester - second year of an Aeronautical Engineering degree. I remember watching the news of it on a small b&w telly. Andrew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shar2 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was in the crew room of 846 Sqn at Yeovilton. I just couldn't believe what I was watching. Being the duty rating, I was first in that day, so saw most of the news before the rest of the squadron arrived for work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daz greenwood Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was in my last year of Secondary school when I heard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike7451 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Probably sat in The Stables bar for a lunchtime pint at RAF Kinloss..Pub was owned by a couple ex snec Armourers so when the main bar closed,we moved into the back bar.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derbyeomanry Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Just finished early shift at 1400 - got home - all over the news - all 4 channels of it back then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was in the computer room of Horizon Travel, above Tesco, Five Ways, Birmingham. I think the first news was on the Radio, then I put my Sony Watchman on and had loads of people around the 2" screen to see the news reports. It was a well publicised flight, Christa McAuliffe was going to be the Teacher in Space and Ron McNair was going to record a Sax track for Jean Michel Jarre Concert and Rendez-Vous album. A very sad day indeed..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was on the pan at Lossiemouth, soaked to the skin, re-arming Harriers on APC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royster Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 (edited) I was also still at school at the time, and I came home to find it on Newsround Ditto, very strong images for an 11 year old, followed on 26th April of the same year was the incident at Reactor 4 of the Chernobyl NPP... What a year Edited January 29, 2011 by Royster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismac60 Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 At RAF Chivenor, watched it live, didn't really realise what was happening at first Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.D. Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was in the Victorian country town of Horsham, waiting to start my day's work on the TV series "Flying Doctors". I was just standing outside my hotel when one of my colleagues came out and said "Hey did you see the Space Shuttle? It just blew up!". He added a few frills to it which I can't add here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosco Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was also still at school at the time, and I came home to find it on Newsround (a BBC news programme for children). Exactly what happened to me - Was John Craven still presenting it then ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatalbert Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was at work in the flight test shed at Bae hatfield,a friend came upto me and told me.I thought it was a wind up at first.I cant belive it was a 1/4 of a century ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Will always remember it, it was my younger brothers 16th birthday, took the edge off his party as we were watching the tv most of the evening to see what had happened. Like Obi the picture of the SBRs will always be a strong image. We went to Florida the following christmas on a family holiday and went to Kennedy Space Centre, remember it being a very somber place at the time, the memorial was very moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roys Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 Watched it in very bright sunshine in Halls of Residence-I always thought it happened in summer. Perhaps the weather was a lot better then. Wikepedia good on this one. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Challenger_disaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carlstavros Posted January 29, 2011 Share Posted January 29, 2011 I was at primary school, aged 8, remember watching it on newsround later in the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obi-Jiff Kenobi Posted January 30, 2011 Share Posted January 30, 2011 Exactly what happened to me - Was John Craven still presenting it then ? He was, IIRC. Thank goodness it wasn't the patronising Ellie Crisell... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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