..."Slipped the surly bonds of Earth" to "touch the face of God."06:26 Jan 28 2011
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Today, January 28, 2011, marks the 25th anniversary of an American tragedy. It was on this day, in 1986, that seven astronauts boarded the Challenger space shuttle to embark on what would be their final flight.
Members of my generation, and those who are older, may remember that day. Some, like myself, may have been participants in the educational program, wherein teacher and crew member, Crista McAuliffe, was to host classroom lessons from space. You may have been watching as the events unfolded on television.
It was a frigid 31 degrees (F) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida that morning, and the flight had been delayed numerous times due to unsuitable weather and equipment malfunction. But no one suspected that a minor problem with the O-rings of the shuttle would lead to disaster.
Lift-off occurred at 11:38:00 EST, as Americans of all ages watched. Televisions showed the huge burst of flame as the initial boosters activated, and I and my classmates were captivated as we saw the huge rocket slowly lift up and into the sky. 73 seconds later, there was silence as the rocket was sundered in twain and erupted into two long, arcing plumes of white smoke. The end of one plume glittered faintly for a moment, and we sat, breathless. For myself, the next thing I was aware of was the whine of the overcom, as the Principal announced that the buses were on their way and we were being dismissed early. No one said a word.
I returned home not too long thereafter, to find my mom in front of the television, sobbing quietly. She gently explained to me that something had gone wrong with the flight and that we should pray for the astronauts. That evening I saw President Reagan on the television screen, explaining to us all that the crew was lost. He told us all that it was part of discovery and exploration, and that they will be remembered for their bravery.
The Challenger explosion was not just a loss for the United States space program, not simply a loss of seven astronauts. For myself, like many others my age, it was, in a way, a loss of our innocence; as children, as students, and as members of our great nation. These astronauts were not just crew members. They were husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, and for one - a teacher. But in reality all seven were teachers. For myself, they taught me that all quests encounter tragedy. And that despite the tragedy, we must continue.
I encourage you to visit the following links today, in remembrance of the seven crew members of the space shuttle Challenger.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster
This gives the factual story of the disaster, along with information about what we now know caused the explosion.
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan_Announces_the_Challenger_Disaster
This is the transcript of the famous speech given by President Reagan after the tragedy.
I will leave you with the conclusion of said speech:
"The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and "slipped the surly bonds of earth" to "touch the face of God."
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