Twenty years after Challenger
I remember seeing the news footage of the shuttle disaster, probably because my dad brought me to watch it. I was 5 years old, so I'm actually surprised that I can remember it, but I have memories of remembering it at 8, if that doesn't sound too weird. When the Columbia disaster happened, I knew just how I would have felt at the Challenger.
MSNBC is reporting on 7 Common Myths About the Challenger Shuttle Disaster.
Most of them are pretty boring. But Numbers 2 and 3 surprised me. Especially #3: The flight, and the astronauts' lives, did not end at that point, 73 seconds after launch.
Apparently the shuttle remained mostly intact after the main booster fell apart, though some sections of the craft were also ripped away. It's possible the crew was alive, and although unlikely, were even conscious, when the shuttle slammed back into the water at 200mph 3 minutes later. Some of the emergency air bottles in the cabin had been activated.
That's... a scary thought. And one I don't think I'll dwell on.
2 comments:
I read the article yesterday. It was chilling when the Columbia accident happened cause I instantly started remembering Challenger.
I tried not to think about the being alive part but I couldn't help it. It was a disturbing thought that crosses one mind and makes what happened even sadder.
That was a very interesting article.
I too remember where I was. I was in 5th grade, and my teacher came into the room and told us all. And that night, I watched the news and told myself I'd remember that date. Wow, hard to believe it was 20 years ago.
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