I know that we "don't wear the black armband forever", but it's still a good thing to pause and remember.
This was the first "I remember what I was doing when..." moment of my life. They keep saying there was/is supposed to be a movie made based around Dick Feynman's involvement in the accident investigation. I hope that doesn't get lost in the pile. Of course, who the hell do you get to play Richard Feynman? You got to nail that in casting or the whole thing tanks.
Are we heading into the week of disaster for the Space Program? Man it's a sad time. I can't believe it's been 26 years since the Challenger tragedy. I think the best thing I can say about it is I always think about the dedication preceding Star Trek IV. I think that says it all.
I'm honored to be a faculty mentor with my school's McNair Scholars program--just a small way that I can help to honor the legacy of one of the Challenger Seven. And if you're ever in Hermosa Beach, there's a memorial to Greg Jarvis on the boardwalk. They may be gone, but I think the Challenger Seven are going in inspire people for a long time.
And it could all have been avoided had Morton-Thiokol recommend a no-go for launch. It's Engineers wanted to but the managers overrode it.
Yeah after I wrote what I wrote this morning, I looked up the dates of all three accidents and yeah it is in a week's time but it started yesterday. Still, not a happy week at Houston/Kennedy Space Center.
God rest the souls of all the brave men and women who've lost their lives in humanity's space exploration programs.
Dad was a "rocket scientist" at JPL, then TRW. He saw the footage and immediately said it was the o-rings. Of course, Feynman undoubtedly knew that, too--but he needed proof. A statement based on knowledge alone isn't enough.
Actually, it's a great story about how Feynman started down the O-Ring path. Wish I could find it. I don't want to spoil it with the details I remember, but it really is quite the story. I'll look it up when I get back if no one has posted it here yet.
I was coming out of the Navy dentist when this had just happened. Talk about a kick-in-the-gut feeling. Same thing with Columbia.