Written by Contributed by Rose McMayhem. (Rose was a Maplewood Heights Elementary School student when this tragedy occured. )
January 28th was the 22nd anniversary of the Challenger explosion.
I’ve discovered, in the last year, that I have an inexplicable interest in the Challenger. I’m not a NASA buff, nor do I remember the event taking place (Graham, whose elementary class watched it happen from the playground of his school in Orlando, does), but somehow the Challenger explosion gets to me on a very emotional level. This is something that the story of the Columbia breaking up upon re-entry does not do; it’s specifically the Challenger that upsets me.
When we were in Orlando last November, my boyfriend Graham took me to the Kennedy Space Center. I wouldn’t say that the main attraction was talk of the Challenger, but the event was certainly held in mind and honored by the exhibits. I’m not normally a super-reverent person, but learning about the Challenger shuts me up but quick. I think it’s because I so respect the people who are advancing our realm of science. When I think of people who deserve to be admired by the public for their chosen profession and accomplishments, astronauts are right up there- and while I don’t think anyone would argue that, I wonder why, with as many launches as occur, few people can name astronauts besides John Glenn and Buzz Aldrin- myself included. These are notable people who should unquestionably be recognized above and beyond the usual do-nothing limelight hogs (I’m looking at you, Paris).
Then just a few weeks ago, in a hotel on our way to Yellowstone, we came across a show examining what role the weather played in the Challenger’s launch. It was all very dramatic, showing footage of the people in Cape Canaveral with their heads in their hands after communication was lost. The conclusion, stated by Richard Feynman, was that an O-ring in the right solid rocket booster failed due to cold temperatures- something that had been foreseen by the O-ring manufacturer’s engineers, but ignored by management. Then there was footage of the shuttle breaking up, over and over. I made Graham tell me again about what it was like to see it- “you could definitely tell something was wrong,” he said.
Later on in the show, after Graham had gone to the bar with some others and I stayed behind, the show revealed something that I’d previously been unaware of- the crew hadn’t died instantly. From Wikipedia:
During vehicle breakup, the robustly constructed crew cabin detached in one piece and slowly tumbled. NASA estimated separation forces at about 12 to 20 times the force of gravity (g) very briefly; however, within two seconds, the forces on the cabin had already dropped to below 4 g, and within ten seconds the cabin was in free fall. These forces were likely insufficient to cause major injury. At least some of the astronauts were likely alive and briefly conscious after the breakup, because three of the four Personal Egress Air Packs (PEAPs) on the flight deck were found to have been activated. Investigators found their remaining unused air supply roughly consistent with the expected consumption during the 2 minute 45 second post-breakup trajectory.
That had me bawling. I didn’t know these people, and don’t remember the event itself, but the idea of scientists and heroes plummeting to their inescapable death is something more gruesome and terrifying than I can handle.
So here’s to you, Challenger crew- and every other shuttle crew who’s been brave enough to keep at it. You are the future of science, helping our understanding of the world move forward. There are few on par with you. We owe you the utmost respect.
Rose
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