25 Years Ago, the Space Shuttle Exploded

It was 25 years ago the space shuttle Challenger blew up. I remember the day. I was working at the US Naval Observatory. We came back from lunch a little late and the guys who stay and watch TV in the kitchen were still watching TV, which was weird, usually the TV is on at 12 sharp, off at 1 sharp. We asked what was going on and were told the space shuttle blew up. At first I thought the guy was making a bad joke, but there it was, on TV, again and again.

One of my first thoughts was about the first teacher going up on the shuttle. Christa McAuliffe. Her death made it twice as bad, I think. She was a civilian. I can imagine her as one of my grade school teachers and feel like I kind of knew her.

Christa McAuliffe

In the back row from left to right: Ellison S. Onizuka, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, and Judy Resnik. In the front row from left to right: Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, and Ron McNair

Below is a video from YouTube.

25 years ago... I was almost exactly half the age I am now. It doesn't seem like 25 years, it doesn't seem like too much time at all.