In December 1996 pieces of Challenger debris washed up on the shore at Cocoa Beach. Someone I used to chat with on the web who was working at NASA Kennedy mentioned it to me at the time. A few days later the story was on CNN. One of the pieces of debris was about 14 feet long. The Houston Chronicle did a story on it. It's on their archive site.
What a terrible day that was. I was only five, but I remember seeing the news report on TV at my grandparents house. What has stuck with me the most since that day was seeing the explosion and the SRBs still thrusting and twisting and burning...
THIS PIECE OF "JUNK" HAS KILLED 14 PEOPLE SO FAR!!! WHERE IS THE "ESCAPE SYSTEM" NASA? OH, I FORGOT THEY HAVE A POLE THEY CAN SLIDE DOWN @ 17,500MPH! I CAN'T BELIEVE NASA SOLD THIS "JUNK" TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE! GOES TO SHOW HOW "IGNORANT AND COMPLACENT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE BECOME! WHAT DO OUR SO CALLED "LEADERS" HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS? "THEY KNEW THE RISKS." CERTAIN RISKS WOULD NEVER HAD BEEN TAKEN BY "OUR ASTRONAUTS" HAD THEY AN "ESCAPE SYSTEM!"
What has never been mentioned ever again on that day, Dan Rather told viewers and they showed it , a gigantic parachute coming down in the ocean as the debris fell.
Dan Rather said it was the crew compartment with a parachute attached to it.
That video is now locked in the vaults of CBS and has never been shown again.
NASA asked CBS to lock up the video and CBS did.
What was attached to that parachute NASA says is TOP SECRET!
@planetcheck There was a parachute. But it was not gigantic. After the SRB's were detonated by range safety, one of the nose cones separated with its chute. I have a real picture of it. Crew module does not have a chute. There was nothing secret about the launch. Why put a teacher on secret flight where the whole point is to get attention with the teacher.
@planetcheck Well, if there was a real conspiracy, I imagine the secret services would have destroyed the tape(s) rather than rely on the TV network complying with a request from NASA to simply put the tape away somewhere for safe-keeping. There must be more than one such recording, anyway. What about all the home-recordings? Are they all locked up too?
@outofthegreenmist No videotape exists today of the CBS footage showing the gigantic parachute landing in the ocean with Rathers commenting on it live.
It would be on youtube if any videotape survived.
NASA ordered CBS to lock the videotape up.
No VHS home recording has ever surfaced.
Many believe the crew are alive today and in hiding.
@ideastoday It was the pilot chute from the frustrum. Nose cap blows off. Pilot chute comes out. Frustrum blows off releasing the 3 main chutes until spash down.
@ewd76 Yes... and without Dan Rather, we would have known that Microsft Word was used during the Vietnam era. Why inject your politics into a national tragedy was apolitical and took place before he was even president?
On the morning of the explosion I was recording from this very same network, (CBS) but because I didn't have a VCR at the time, I could only record it on audio cassette. I have "heard" all of this again and again on my tapes, (which I no longer have,) but I have only "seen" it all once, the morning that it all happened. Thank you for posting all of this. It's the first time I have been able to actually "see" it all since that day, over 23 years ago.
question of the 80s: In school about to take a quiz in French class. Teacher had heard a rumor of such, borrowed a student's walkman, got confirmation and told us.
question of the 90s: Where were you when the OJ verdict was read? At work listening at the radio the verdict
question of the 00swhere were you when the WTC was hit? Working as an attorney in court waiting for the judge to take the bench when an another attorney came in and told us...
1/28/86: Watched the launch outside at school as this was a big deal. I was in the 2nd grade and lived in Fort Lauderdale, easily seen from there.
1/28/86: Everybody scrambled after it blew up because nobody had any clue were any debris was headed. Still remember, even in Ft. Lauderdale, it was a very cold day (probably mid 40's). Not a good move by NASA to take off in that but there was pressure to move the program and launch along.
I remember this. I was home from school because I was sick. The thing I remember the most about this was watching the CBS coverage and seeing Dan Rather with that Space Shuttle model.
Yes, they found the bodies in the crew cabin. After the breakup, some of the crew turned on their emergency oxygen supplies. It is speculated that maybe not all were concious, but all were alive until the crew cabin made impact with the water some 2 minutes after the breakup. The impact with the water is what killed them.
They found their remains. I believe some of the remains were unidentifiable and were buried under the Challenger Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. And I believe the remains of Scobee and Smith were identified and buried in their own respective graves at Arlington..
@stfunoob1 - Yes, they did find human remains. NASA also discovered that several of the crew members had manually turned on their emergency oxygen supplies after the breakup of the shuttle, which means some or all of them survived the explosion. The likelihood is that they died when the crew compartment slammed into the ocean.
@stfunoob1 they did find the crew cabin, and they think they crew lived to the time it hit the water. there were switches that had been turned on after the explosion.
80s: At school in 5th grade, listening to the launch on our teacher's radio. 90s: In the Navy, hearing the recap in my barracks room after work. 00s: At my doctor's office, getting checked out for a flight to Italy on September 15th.
question of the 80s: Either taking my midterm exams in high school or on the bus home. We had a half day, so I came home early...and got punched in the stomach when I turned on the TV.
90's: Graduate school, hanging out with my roommate. Being Japanese, he was a bit baffled by the verdict. Being American, so was I.
2001: In a Piper Arrow enroute to Key West from Orlando Executive. ATC let us all know, and next thing I know I'm landing in Pompano.
I remember the day it happened. When I got home from school, my grandmother had it on Channel 4 (KMOL as the call sign was back then, now WOAI) and I was expecting "The People's Court" to be on, which she would normally watch, but instead, NBC News was reporting the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. I was shocked.
Yeah i Remember im from the uk it was life in the afternoon after 5pm uk time Remember Watching it i was ju 8 then i was so shocked ive never seen or thinked that wound ever blow up its still in my hart all the filght team die .god bless them all and all thare familys.R.I.P.
I was going to a now-defunct business school at the time. After taking a morning class, I stopped off at the bank on my way to an appointment, and that's where I heard about this terrible tragedy.
Well done Dan Rather. Seemed like he was filling like a madman! Almost like a QVC presentation. Interesting comparing the coverage here with that of the Columbia disaster, in the era of computer graphics and 24 hour news.
In December 1996 pieces of Challenger debris washed up on the shore at Cocoa Beach. Someone I used to chat with on the web who was working at NASA Kennedy mentioned it to me at the time. A few days later the story was on CNN. One of the pieces of debris was about 14 feet long. The Houston Chronicle did a story on it. It's on their archive site.
jigglar 1 week ago
What a terrible day that was. I was only five, but I remember seeing the news report on TV at my grandparents house. What has stuck with me the most since that day was seeing the explosion and the SRBs still thrusting and twisting and burning...
darthfurious80 7 months ago
@darthfurious80 Yeah I was six years old when this happened. I found it so distressing as a little boy.
ANOTHERHOLEINYOHEAD 1 week ago
THIS PIECE OF "JUNK" HAS KILLED 14 PEOPLE SO FAR!!! WHERE IS THE "ESCAPE SYSTEM" NASA? OH, I FORGOT THEY HAVE A POLE THEY CAN SLIDE DOWN @ 17,500MPH! I CAN'T BELIEVE NASA SOLD THIS "JUNK" TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE! GOES TO SHOW HOW "IGNORANT AND COMPLACENT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE BECOME! WHAT DO OUR SO CALLED "LEADERS" HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THIS? "THEY KNEW THE RISKS." CERTAIN RISKS WOULD NEVER HAD BEEN TAKEN BY "OUR ASTRONAUTS" HAD THEY AN "ESCAPE SYSTEM!"
Puff29646 1 year ago
"Major malfunction"? Talk about putting a spin on bad news.
outofthegreenmist 1 year ago
I watched this on CBS on that day.
What has never been mentioned ever again on that day, Dan Rather told viewers and they showed it , a gigantic parachute coming down in the ocean as the debris fell.
Dan Rather said it was the crew compartment with a parachute attached to it.
That video is now locked in the vaults of CBS and has never been shown again.
NASA asked CBS to lock up the video and CBS did.
What was attached to that parachute NASA says is TOP SECRET!
planetcheck 1 year ago
@planetcheck There was a parachute. But it was not gigantic. After the SRB's were detonated by range safety, one of the nose cones separated with its chute. I have a real picture of it. Crew module does not have a chute. There was nothing secret about the launch. Why put a teacher on secret flight where the whole point is to get attention with the teacher.
mach25man 1 year ago
@planetcheck Well, if there was a real conspiracy, I imagine the secret services would have destroyed the tape(s) rather than rely on the TV network complying with a request from NASA to simply put the tape away somewhere for safe-keeping. There must be more than one such recording, anyway. What about all the home-recordings? Are they all locked up too?
outofthegreenmist 1 year ago
@outofthegreenmist No videotape exists today of the CBS footage showing the gigantic parachute landing in the ocean with Rathers commenting on it live.
It would be on youtube if any videotape survived.
NASA ordered CBS to lock the videotape up.
No VHS home recording has ever surfaced.
Many believe the crew are alive today and in hiding.
Only NASA knows.
planetcheck 1 year ago
@planetcheck OMG! YEAH, AND MARTIANS HAVE INVADED!!! ABSURD!!!
Puff29646 1 year ago
@planetcheck - What was attached to the parachute (obviously) was part of the SRB.
ideastoday 1 year ago
@ideastoday It was the pilot chute from the frustrum. Nose cap blows off. Pilot chute comes out. Frustrum blows off releasing the 3 main chutes until spash down.
aimhigh59 1 year ago
God bless Dan Rather. Without him, we wouldn't know how evil George W Bush is.
ewd76 1 year ago 8
@ewd76 Yes... and without Dan Rather, we would have known that Microsft Word was used during the Vietnam era. Why inject your politics into a national tragedy was apolitical and took place before he was even president?
davidincal1969 7 months ago
I'm surprsied there hasn't been a movie based on this yet. Maybe they'll be one for its' 25th anniversary next year.
simpsonsfan89 2 years ago
There was a TV movie in 1990 called Challenger
mjtopia 1 year ago 2
@simpsonsfan89
a cheesy TV movie? a documentary ? or a movie shown in the Theatres ? well I guess we won't see one.
indyfan22k 1 year ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Dan Rather is a fucking doof!!
MGS93 2 years ago
Dan rather is the most condescending anchor man on the planet earth. shame he wasn't under those booster rockets when it took of. unreal!
PAM2167 2 years ago
question of the 80s: I was 2 years old, no memory of what happened.
question of the 90s: 4th grade. Playing MK2 on genesis a lot that year.
question of the 00s: 11th grade, just about to eat school breakfast. had a free day while everyone watched the news.
MGTRANSFORMER 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
At 4:42 Dan Rather gives us the classy line..."major malfucktion". Way to go Danny boy!
Tampaslice 2 years ago
Thats what NASA called it.
nubbie1944 2 years ago
On the morning of the explosion I was recording from this very same network, (CBS) but because I didn't have a VCR at the time, I could only record it on audio cassette. I have "heard" all of this again and again on my tapes, (which I no longer have,) but I have only "seen" it all once, the morning that it all happened. Thank you for posting all of this. It's the first time I have been able to actually "see" it all since that day, over 23 years ago.
Musicman81Indy 2 years ago
question of the 80s: In school about to take a quiz in French class. Teacher had heard a rumor of such, borrowed a student's walkman, got confirmation and told us.
question of the 90s: Where were you when the OJ verdict was read? At work listening at the radio the verdict
question of the 00swhere were you when the WTC was hit? Working as an attorney in court waiting for the judge to take the bench when an another attorney came in and told us...
Aldon3 2 years ago
1/28/86: Watched the launch outside at school as this was a big deal. I was in the 2nd grade and lived in Fort Lauderdale, easily seen from there.
1/28/86: Everybody scrambled after it blew up because nobody had any clue were any debris was headed. Still remember, even in Ft. Lauderdale, it was a very cold day (probably mid 40's). Not a good move by NASA to take off in that but there was pressure to move the program and launch along.
kevmob77 2 years ago
question of the 80s: non-existent. Born 1987
question of the 90s: In my kitchen watching it with my mom. I didn't care..I just wanted my cartoons to come back on.
question of the 00s: In school watching the second plane live......Ugh that was horrible.
bubblinbrownsugar616 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Can we say AHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAA
DisneysBack1 2 years ago
80s-getting ready to turn 3 in two days 90s 7th grade watching it on tv 00s at hone getting ready for work
mike83denn 2 years ago
I remember this. I was home from school because I was sick. The thing I remember the most about this was watching the CBS coverage and seeing Dan Rather with that Space Shuttle model.
darthchaosofrspw1 2 years ago
I wonder if they ever found any sign of the bodies or anything o.O
stfunoob1 2 years ago
I believe so; the crew compartment broke away as a unit, intact.
MSTS1 2 years ago
Yes, they found the bodies in the crew cabin. After the breakup, some of the crew turned on their emergency oxygen supplies. It is speculated that maybe not all were concious, but all were alive until the crew cabin made impact with the water some 2 minutes after the breakup. The impact with the water is what killed them.
vfxman31 2 years ago
They found their remains. I believe some of the remains were unidentifiable and were buried under the Challenger Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. And I believe the remains of Scobee and Smith were identified and buried in their own respective graves at Arlington..
darthchaosofrspw1 2 years ago
@stfunoob1 - Yes, they did find human remains. NASA also discovered that several of the crew members had manually turned on their emergency oxygen supplies after the breakup of the shuttle, which means some or all of them survived the explosion. The likelihood is that they died when the crew compartment slammed into the ocean.
ideastoday 1 year ago
@stfunoob1 they did find the crew cabin, and they think they crew lived to the time it hit the water. there were switches that had been turned on after the explosion.
burkdogg21 11 months ago
This unexpectedly interrupted "The Price Is Right" back then.
mrceleb2006 2 years ago
They are dead and that ain't so bad at all.
DisneyMousse 2 years ago
notin matters to u at all lol
champsinger 2 years ago
Idiot.
3060studios 3 years ago
question of the 80s: where were you when Challenger exploded?
question of the 90s: Where were you when the OJ verdict was read?
question of the 00s: where were you when the WTC was hit?
corrupt200 3 years ago
80's- at school watching it live
90's in my living room feeding my baby
00's- at home just after putting my daughter on her school bus. My sister later went into labor (due to stress) and I was awake for 3 days straight.
BMPmama698 3 years ago
80's - Kindergaten... sent everyone home.
90's- Listened to verdict in Biology class in 10th grade
00's getting ready to run errands when Howard Stern annouced the 1st plane hit
PJSkins26 2 years ago
80s-Taking a quiz in French class.
90's-At work, listening on the radio
00's-Working as a prosecutor, in court.
Aldon3 3 years ago
80's: w/ the rest of my 6th grade classmates watching the event at school.
90's: I was washing my hands, getting ready to leave work when some of the guys were talking about what happened.
00's: At home, channel-surfing when Pat Robertson on The 700 Club started talking about what was going on at the WTC.
LARiots1992 3 years ago
80's-in heaven
90's- in 1st grade
00's- in 7th grade hearing the news from my teachers
gierbolini90210 2 years ago
80's-babysitter
90's-5th grade (at school)
00's-11th grade (band class)
james32746 2 years ago
question of the 80s: where were you when Challenger exploded? At home because of of a snow storm the school was closed
question of the 90s: Where were you when the OJ verdict was read? At work listening at the radio the verdict with my work coleages
question of the 00swhere were you when the WTC was hit? At home I was sicjk. My neighbour called me to tell me
creationeverest 2 years ago
80s: At school in 5th grade, listening to the launch on our teacher's radio. 90s: In the Navy, hearing the recap in my barracks room after work. 00s: At my doctor's office, getting checked out for a flight to Italy on September 15th.
ChrisFrenchComedy 2 years ago
question of the 80s: Either taking my midterm exams in high school or on the bus home. We had a half day, so I came home early...and got punched in the stomach when I turned on the TV.
90's: Graduate school, hanging out with my roommate. Being Japanese, he was a bit baffled by the verdict. Being American, so was I.
2001: In a Piper Arrow enroute to Key West from Orlando Executive. ATC let us all know, and next thing I know I'm landing in Pompano.
SCE2AUX 2 years ago
I remember the day it happened. When I got home from school, my grandmother had it on Channel 4 (KMOL as the call sign was back then, now WOAI) and I was expecting "The People's Court" to be on, which she would normally watch, but instead, NBC News was reporting the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. I was shocked.
SailorCallie 3 years ago 2
I'm from Brazil, and I recorded the Jornal Nacional (is the principal tv news from Brazil)on January,28, 1986,Rede Globo.
celuiz86 3 years ago
Yeah i Remember im from the uk it was life in the afternoon after 5pm uk time Remember Watching it i was ju 8 then i was so shocked ive never seen or thinked that wound ever blow up its still in my hart all the filght team die .god bless them all and all thare familys.R.I.P.
lethalman3000 3 years ago 2
I was going to a now-defunct business school at the time. After taking a morning class, I stopped off at the bank on my way to an appointment, and that's where I heard about this terrible tragedy.
nanlisa 3 years ago
Well done Dan Rather. Seemed like he was filling like a madman! Almost like a QVC presentation. Interesting comparing the coverage here with that of the Columbia disaster, in the era of computer graphics and 24 hour news.
thomasdgreen 3 years ago 2
Dan's Texas drawl is showing
mrtelevision 3 years ago
I miss Dan Rather. He was one of the last honorable big-name journalists in the country.
nathanmoeller 3 years ago 5
My heart goes out to the victims' families.
mediadude08 3 years ago 12