The Final Words Of The Challenger Crew Will Leave You Speechless

The 1986 Challenger disaster was one of the worst space-related catastrophes in history – and a salvaged recorder from on board the doomed vessel appears to have captured the exact moment the crew realized that something was terribly wrong.

#Challenger #Crew #LastWords

Voiceover By: Tim Bensch

[GrungeHQ]

Rest in peace to the members of the Challenger crew.

[WBCRO]

My father had always been fascinated by the space program. The day of the Challenger launch was the day of my mother’s funeral and we were all in the living room, dressed up for the service and Dad wanted a pleasant distraction. He turned on the tv and we watched the live coverage, of course expecting it to be exciting and hope-filled. Like everyone else, we were absolutely horrified by the tragedy that happened before our eyes. Poor Dad was especially devastated. We shut off the tv and headed to the church in a daze. Mum’s funeral and the Challenger disaster will always be linked for our family.

[CynVee]

I remember watching the launch live then in horror as the ship exploded. I'll never forget Reagan's speech, that part where he said, "...(they) waved goodbye and slipped the surly bonds of earth to touch the face of God." It made me cry then and does the same today all these years later. Rest in peace.😢

[tgschaef]

The O rings were not overly sensitive or flawed. No more than your car is flawed that it can’t run at the top of Mt Everest. Every piece of equipment has an operating range. The O rings had a designed operating range that was well known and documented. The conditions were outside of that range on the day of launch. Engineers at Morton Thiokol tried to raise the issue and were ignored.

[philn]

My dad was a teacher and applied for the mission. I watched the Challenger go down as a 1st grader at school. I'm happy he didn't mention his application until I was old enough to understand it.

[jdpragmatic]

Morton Thiokol wasn’t just ignored, they were outright berated for daring to raise this crucial safety issue the night before launch. As if it was an audacity to try and keep the astronauts safe.

[kennethhigh]

Uh-oh? It took you over three minutes of video to tell us they said "Uh-oh"? I want my money back!

[melmack]

I was a teacher in Nova Scotia, Canada, as the crew prepared for the trip of a life time. For Christa McAuliffe it was to be the class trip of a lifetime. Our staff sent her a postcard of hope she received it....hope it made her smile. Rest in Eternal Peace...

[TheLeadSled]

They were alive on the way down, what an absolute nightmare, may they rest in piece.
Apollo 1 '67
Challenger '86
Columbia '03

[henryhawkins]

I watched the Challenger launch from my job at a Hospital in Ft.Myers Florida. A bunch of Techs, nurses, and staff went outside of the building for a perfect launch view. I remember it being quiet cold that morning also. We immediately knew something was wrong when the boosters separated and went opposite directions, after a big while smoke cloud. I will never forget that day. RIP Challenger Crew. Gone but not forgotten

[shellyk]

I was three months pregnant at the time i watching this tragidy unfold, before my very eyes as i just broke down crying so hard for the families, who lost their loved ones and that evening i started bleeding and lost my baby that night.I then cried for three days after. I will never forget that day and always wonder what my baby would have been and what my baby would have become if this baby would have lived.❤😢💔R.I.P. to my baby and to the beautiful souls lost on the Challenget that very sad day.💔😥🙏

[StephenLuke]

RIP
Dick Scobee
(1939-1986)
Michael J. Smith
(1945-1986)
Ronald McNair
(1950-1986)
Ellison Onizuka
(1946-1986)
Judith Resnik
(1949-1986)
Gregory Jarvis
(1944-1986)
and
Christa McAuliffe
(1948-1986)

[CaptainMarvelsSon]

I watched it live on TV. The next day, my sister, who was one of the many, many candidates considered was interviewed on local news. It didn't occur to me until that moment that I potentially could have lost my sister.

[davester]

I remember being a 15 year old teenager when this happened. I was home sick and watched it on TV. I was sitting on the couch eating a bowl of cereal watching the launch. When the Challenger exploded, I sat there frozen in disbelief with my spoon up to my face as to what exactly just happened. "Did the space shuttle really just blow up?"

I then called my mother to the living room telling her, "Mom, come to the living room! The space shuttle just blew up!"

[catherineg]

I was shopping with my BFF on the day of the disaster. We lived in Lakeland, Florida., roughly 110 miles from Cape Canaveral. We’d ALWAYS had a “good long-distance “aerial”/“visual” view of launches from the Base. We could CLEARLY SEE every rocket and “Shuttle” with the naked-eye. “Launch Viewings” and “Viewing Parties” were as common as “Hurricane Parties”. But they were VASTLY becoming “boring”. THIS Launch however, was a “Special” one.

Thus, there we were…standing amongst a crowd of customers and employees in the “Electronics Section” of a Major Retail Store watching, as per usual, EVERY SINGLE TELEVISION “tuned-in” to the “Historic” launch. After “counting-down”, “out-loud” with everyone else, my BFF and I ran outside to watch it “live”, as it would quickly “enter into our viewpoint”. We joined the “outside crowd” and SAW the explosion happen in REAL TIME!! (Neither my BFF, NOR ANYONE ELSE “WITH US” realized “what had happened”!!) I SCREAMED (and I am NOT a “screamer”) “OH MY GOD IT BLEW UP”!!, in a SINGLE “RUN-ON” SENTENCE, as I turned and RUSHED BACK to the “Electronics Section”, trailed by my BFF AND the ENTIRE OUTSIDE CROWD!!

There, we were met with an “eerie”, STUNNED SILENCE from the ENTIRE STORE. (The Store Manager had even ordered the incessantly-piped, “in-store, ‘music and advertising’ tape reel” to be TURNED OFF.) “Some” were vocally sobbing; “some” muttered Prayer’s for the Crew and their families; “some” silently cried so as “not to frighten their children”; “some” covered their mouths and/or faces in horror…Men and male teenagers alike removed their hats “In Honor” with “some”, respectfully “Saluting”, in absentia.

We ALL STOOD…too SHOCKED and HORRIFIED to say a word, before slowly retreating from the Electronics Section, as all but a few, small televisions were “left on” with the volume “SUBSTANTIALLY lowered” to follow the “aftermath coverage” from the Cape…..

No…I’ll NEVER forget “THAT DAY”…😔

RIP, ✌🏻❤️👊🏻 Peace, Love, and Respect…..

[fredajohnson]

I will always remember the challenger..I was watching it live and saw the pieces going off in different directions, and the smoke trails...I knew right then that it had exploded..so sad..I can still see it and I cried for the 7 brave people who were so happy before this..

[jamesmoss]

R.I.P. all who were on The Challenger.

[bradjohnson]

We students were all sent home early. What a sad day for our Nation, and the entire world.

[hennies]

Very sad, remember it like it was yesterday and I am from South Africa, Cape Town. RIP ladies and gentlemen. 🪦🪦🪦🪦🪦🪦🪦

[deanruthlessrecords]

I was in 1st grade.
I remember watching it in the gym with the whole school.
I remember there were 100 of us watching it all on ONE 25 INCH TV ON A ROLLING SHELF.
I remember teachers crying.
I also remember they sent us home around 10:30-11:00am.?