Lady Red and Fay; 3quarks has a decidedly leftist tilt, which at times is very annoying, as they also have interesting, thoughtful and intelligent posts about nearly everything.
Watching this video brought back all the horror and disbelief of that day.
I was watching the launch with my boss, a retired NASA engineer who worked on the shuttle program. I can't describe his reaction...I thought we were going to have to call an ambulance. It was awful.
My son (who was 5 or 6 at the time) was watching it at school with his class. He was so excited because a teacher was going into space! I raced to the school as fast as my car would go. He was heartbroken and sobbing, as were all the children. :(
This video was difficult to watch, but I'm glad you posted it, Luther.
It was a terrible day, Lady Red. One of those days when you still remember exactly where you were standing when you heard/saw the news and will never forget it.
That must have been something with your boss, I can only imagine what he must have been feeling. And your son's story, oh, so tragic for all the little ones.
Another video of merit, if it is out there, would be CNN's first images in 2003 of Columbia's re-entry contrails. I saw them and said to Judi that it looked like they had trouble. My gut instanct was screaming, since I'd watched other re-entries that didn't show the same images. Shortly there after it was confirmed. A single vehicle re-entering the atmosphere at speed should only show one large streak of light, the intial images showed several, or varying sizes.
This is the closest I can find to what I saw that day on CNN.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oBTzbKx0jo
"I'm a Space nerd." Good for you, Alison. And good that you got to witness a lift-off. With the retirement of the shuttle and the change of direction for NASA who knows how long it will be before such an event occurs again.
Luther....I was at home. It was a Saturday morning and I'd just flipped on the television to see the news.
When the images appeared on screen my "gut" knew something was, too many "streaks"...although my mind didn't reach the conclusion immediately. It was similat to watching the news on 9/11/01 at the office...first plane had hit the building, gut said uh oh...second plane hit the other building and I knew, confirmed by the ERT message traffic coming in...by the time the Pentagon was hit, all hell had broken loose.
Aridog, what was your first thought as you realized that Columbia was in trouble? Did you your mind zero in on "mechanical problem", or was your first instinct "terrorist attack"?
Ah, I mis-read you, thought you were outside viewing the real thing. Yep, the gut knows, just like the fella who shot that film knew something was wrong. Though the mind resists at first.
Mechanical for the Columbia, Lady Red. Perhaps my vocation, aviation, a cause for that. Not for 9/11 though. Terrorist from the beginning, though wasn't expecting the further attacks.
It is interesting how you remember first hearing about important events. I remember when Reagan was shot in1981. We were in a staff meeting at the station where I worked. The news director came in and told us the news. So, we all went to work. While the two news people worked to get details, I went on the air to "anchor" the whole thing. Funny thing is, whatever they gave me went in my eyes and out my mouth, bypassing my brain. I have little recollection of what I did on the air that day other than the fact that I did it.
Lady Red...my gut reaction was same as Luther's...physical breakup of the shuttle as it came in to earth's atmosphere. Even the CNN announcers didn't express worry at first...but the images were what they were.
Lady Red and Fay; 3quarks has a decidedly leftist tilt, which at times is very annoying, as they also have interesting, thoughtful and intelligent posts about nearly everything.
ReplyDeleteWatching this video brought back all the horror and disbelief of that day.
ReplyDeleteI was watching the launch with my boss, a retired NASA engineer who worked on the shuttle program. I can't describe his reaction...I thought we were going to have to call an ambulance. It was awful.
My son (who was 5 or 6 at the time) was watching it at school with his class. He was so excited because a teacher was going into space! I raced to the school as fast as my car would go. He was heartbroken and sobbing, as were all the children. :(
This video was difficult to watch, but I'm glad you posted it, Luther.
I added 3 Quarks to Kitchen Spices. It's VERY spicy! :)
ReplyDeleteIt was a terrible day, Lady Red. One of those days when you still remember exactly where you were standing when you heard/saw the news and will never forget it.
ReplyDeleteThat must have been something with your boss, I can only imagine what he must have been feeling. And your son's story, oh, so tragic for all the little ones.
"It's VERY spicy! :)"
ReplyDeleteHa, good way to put it.
I remember that. I cried for a day
ReplyDeleteI got to visit Florida and see the Shuttle take off. It was awesome in the truest meaning of the word. I cried at that too! I'm a Space nerd.
The memorial to these guys was a bit tiny though. My mum said it was because America doesn't like failure. All the same I think it takes huge courage.
Another video of merit, if it is out there, would be CNN's first images in 2003 of Columbia's re-entry contrails. I saw them and said to Judi that it looked like they had trouble. My gut instanct was screaming, since I'd watched other re-entries that didn't show the same images. Shortly there after it was confirmed. A single vehicle re-entering the atmosphere at speed should only show one large streak of light, the intial images showed several, or varying sizes.
ReplyDeleteThis is the closest I can find to what I saw that day on CNN.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oBTzbKx0jo
"My gut instinct was screaming..."
ReplyDeleteAnd that would have been gut wrenching to see. Where you in your hometown or elsewhere when you viewed it?
"I'm a Space nerd." Good for you, Alison. And good that you got to witness a lift-off. With the retirement of the shuttle and the change of direction for NASA who knows how long it will be before such an event occurs again.
ReplyDeleteSubstitute 'were' for 'where' please. Early yet here.
ReplyDeleteLuther....I was at home. It was a Saturday morning and I'd just flipped on the television to see the news.
ReplyDeleteWhen the images appeared on screen my "gut" knew something was, too many "streaks"...although my mind didn't reach the conclusion immediately. It was similat to watching the news on 9/11/01 at the office...first plane had hit the building, gut said uh oh...second plane hit the other building and I knew, confirmed by the ERT message traffic coming in...by the time the Pentagon was hit, all hell had broken loose.
Aridog, what was your first thought as you realized that Columbia was in trouble? Did you your mind zero in on "mechanical problem", or was your first instinct "terrorist attack"?
ReplyDeleteHow about you, Luther?
Ah, I mis-read you, thought you were outside viewing the real thing. Yep, the gut knows, just like the fella who shot that film knew something was wrong. Though the mind resists at first.
ReplyDeleteMechanical for the Columbia, Lady Red. Perhaps my vocation, aviation, a cause for that. Not for 9/11 though. Terrorist from the beginning, though wasn't expecting the further attacks.
ReplyDeleteAnd you?
It is interesting how you remember first hearing about important events. I remember when Reagan was shot in1981. We were in a staff meeting at the station where I worked. The news director came in and told us the news. So, we all went to work. While the two news people worked to get details, I went on the air to "anchor" the whole thing. Funny thing is, whatever they gave me went in my eyes and out my mouth, bypassing my brain. I have little recollection of what I did on the air that day other than the fact that I did it.
ReplyDeleteThe Columbia disaster was the second weekend I came up see Fay. That is what we saw on the news when we turned on the TV.
ReplyDeleteLady Red...my gut reaction was same as Luther's...physical breakup of the shuttle as it came in to earth's atmosphere. Even the CNN announcers didn't express worry at first...but the images were what they were.
ReplyDelete