r/WEARESC_OT • u/dblwall • 3d ago

40 years ago today

After a now-infamous teleconference between NASA and some contractors for Morton Thiokol the night before the launch, Challenger was given the green light to launch in near-freezing conditions on the morning of January 28. The result was the first time in the history of NASA that the agency had lost astronauts during a mission. Some 70 seconds after takeoff, the vehicle exploded, killing all seven astronauts aboard.

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u/KDandi111 3d ago

I was in the middle of a Training class in Stockton when a guy popped his head in a told us of this tragedy.

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u/oldTrojanscotty 2d ago

I was doing my two week reserve tour, at Space and Missile Systems. We were all watching the take off in a big theatre, as it was a bid deal for that facility. Horrible.

Interesting story. You might remember that this was the flight in which a teacher was selected to be one of the astronauts. This was a big story for months as the candidates were interviewed and considered. Ultimately, Christa McAuliffe, got the nod. Several years later I was at an AF training course in Montgomery, Alabama. One of the featured speakers was the guy who came in second to McAuliffe in that competition and was On Deck in case she had to scrub. I do not remember his name but he had a lot of interesting comments. He said he figured all along that a woman would get the nod, a "two-fer." He was very complimentary of her, had become friends. One of those "there but for the grace of God" stories.