15 Years Already...

[XB-70A]

Fifteen years ago the OV-102 Columbia was lost during re-entry at the end of its 28th flight, taking the life of her seven crew members.

 

I don't know for you, but today it's making me feel strange and extremely sad, nearly to weep. I will never forget this day, just coming back from the school, and turning the TV on, just to see the now famous recording of her, disassembling into the sky. I don't know how many seconds passed, but I was feeling them like minutes, and it  announced the end of a dream. More than any others of the family she was my favorite. She got "something" the others did not have (to me), some kind of an aura, maybe due to her age, or maybe to her flights.

She will not be forgotten, neither her crew members who perished.

[Geonovast]

I remember that day, watching the clips of it burning up over and over.  I was a sophomore in HS.

I also remember the crap immediately circulating of the "Pictures of the Columbia exploding in space", which were just screenshots from the Discovery exploding at the beginning of Armageddon.

So sad, and from what I understand, so, so preventable.

[Scotius]

For me, worst part was the sight of the debris. Pieces of once-proud spaceship and her crew, lying on the streets and lawns like trash. They deserved dignity, and there was none to be found.

[NSEP]

F,

i wasn't really an aware person at that time and i wasn't really old enough to care about what happend. So (unfortunately or fortunately??) i have no memory of what happend then.

But its still really unfortunate what happend to the Astronauts, the Vehicle, the people that worked on Columbia and the family members of those people, but also fortunate for all the future Shuttles and their Astronauts, and maybe even future shuttles using an exposed TPS.

 

[razark]

I still remember the sound that morning.  I didn't realize what it was until much later.

Then the news alert of the lost communication.  I called my parents as soon as the reports of debris sighting were mentioned; my mom told me that my dad had already been called in.  That was the beginning of months working 18+ hour days, and I think he still feels some guilt over the loss. 

I had lived a number of years in Nacogdoches, TX.  Seeing the remains of a ship I had grown up with scattered over a town I knew was heartbreaking.

Edited February 1, 2018 by razark

[DeltaDizzy]

At the time, I was not yet born(that would have to wait until october), so i wont pretend to know what it felt like to watch it. The mission patch reminded me of the Husband Hills on Mars, each one named after an STS-107 crew member.

[tater]

3 hours ago, razark said:

I still remember the sound that morning.  I didn't realize what it was until much later.

Then the news alert of the lost communication.  I called my parents as soon as the reports of debris sighting were mentioned; my mom told me that my dad had already been called in.  That was the beginning of months working 18+ hour days, and I think he still feels some guilt over the loss. 

I had lived a number of years in Nacogdoches, TX.  Seeing the remains of a ship I had grown up with scattered over a town I knew was heartbreaking.

We heard it as well. Our front window thumped like a large hawk flew into it, and I went outside looking for a stunned bird, and heard a rumbling I could not place. Went inside to hear on NPR that there was a problem with Shuttle.

We have friends from Nacogdoches, lol. He's the guy whose smoker I used on a huge brisket (I think I posted the pics here, someplace).

[razark]

29 minutes ago, tater said:

Our front window thumped like a large hawk flew into it, and I went outside looking for a stunned bird, and heard a rumbling I could not place.

I thought maybe the neighbor was unloading a truck full of construction materials.  I looked outside, but didn't even think to look up.

I was living in Tyler, TX at the time.  We were north of where most of the debris fell.  I was really kind of glad about that.

[tater]

Yeah, they actually looked for debris briefly here in Albuquerque in the mountains just south of me.

[GoSlash27]

Not to detract from the crew of Columbia, but this thread makes me feel really old

Columbia doesn't seem very long ago to me.

Best,
-Slashy

[Geonovast]

On 2/2/2018 at 6:54 PM, GoSlash27 said:

Not to detract from the crew of Columbia, but this thread makes me feel really old

Columbia doesn't seem very long ago to me.

Best,
-Slashy

Right?  The program's been retired for 6 1/2 years.  Does not seem that long.

Edited February 5, 2018 by Geonovast