STS-51L - Barbara Morgan Watches the Launch and Explosion of Space Shuttle Challenger

[spacearium]

I just deleted a bunch of offensive (and stupid) comments from this video, despite my policy of letting people comment freely. But not with this video and not with this tragedy. Please feel free to comment further though, as long as it's kept, well.... I don't want displays of disgusting behavior. I'll have to approve comments before they're posted, but so long as they're not profanity-laced or ignorant, I'll let them through. Thanks.

[emekonen]

NASA helps mankind advance his knowledge.....even if you are starving or are being oppressed, we have pictures of stars and stuff for you to look at, if your government lets you. We also went to the moon and got some rocks that you will never see. Sorry we cannot buy you a cheese burger cause we have spent trillions of dollars in furthering mankind with useless crap.

[Beatnick79]

1:43 = FAIL

[yermo258]

@Beatnick79 THIS ISNT FUNNY DUDE !

[artwleb]

@plotkin514 No noise was needed - the visual said it all. A straight plume suddenly changed............

[AZspaceGUY]

@plotkin514 At that ditance, you wouldn't really hear an explosion, and it would come about 45 seconds later...

[Zoomer30]

The only area NASA needs help in is "risk assesment". Read the story about STS 27, we almost lost a shuttle on re-entry, and it was only the SECOND FLIGHT BACK after the Challenger.

[GTElwood]

Earing Challenger's noise stopping suddenly ... give me bad feelings even if happened 25y ago.

[XxShadowvalkyriexX]

@GTElwood I agree...its eerie, very upsetting...because it totally vaporizes. =[

[mikedo6]

69adrummer...not as big as your footprint when you put it in your mouth.

[spacearium]

NASA is also the world's foremost organization (along with NOAA) for climate change research. Not to mention medical research. Not to mention the extensive education outreach helping our schools, especially minority and underserved schools. ETC. Those "wasted billions" helped a lot of people and saved far more lives than it has cost. And it holds the key to the future of the human race beyond warring, famine and poverty. The "money spent in space" DOES help the poor on Earth.

[69adrummer]

I wonder what NASA's carbon footprint is after all these years and wasted billions and lives.

[indyfan22k]

@69adrummer

a lot less than the Iraq and Afghan wars.

[roamingcroat]

@69adrummer Considering NASA's role in nearly quadrupling the efficiency of jet engines since the 1950s, the pioneering research in high speed airfoils, and the characterization of wind turbine designs (amongst other things), I think NASA's has probably prevented more carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere than they've actually put in it with their activities.

[karjens41]

@69adrummer maybe you should do some research on the progresses made because of NASA. Improved Mammogram technology is one of the most important.

[RK831]

21 years later, Barbara did go up in space, in STS-118 on the Shuttle Endeavour, but unceremoniously as a regular Mission Specialist and not as the backup teacher in space. Still, she did what Christa didn't: complete a mission.

[01po01po]

@RK831 I'm glad I came across your comment. I didnt know the back up teacher wet up 21 years later.

They should inform people about this fact, as it gives some kind of closier to the tragedy that happened

that sad day in 1986. She continued the dream and accomplished the mission that didnt happen.

I'm sure Christa and the crew would be very proud.......

[HeliosPhoenix]

This video is accurate in showing the reactions of people after the explosion. Challenger was about 18 miles up at the time, so it was hard to make out exactly what had happened. Even Barbara Morgan was fooled. You can see her applauding after the explosion because she believed the boosters had separated in an unusually violent fashion. A few seconds later she realizes that something has gone terribly wrong.

[decimated550]

The vehicle breakup occurred, as i've read, at 73 seconds after liftoff. I can't tell exactly when liftoff occurs in this video, but counting forward from 0:12, the event occurs at about 1:25. Give the observers in the video a few seconds to realize what has occurred, indeed, at 1:40 a man says "that's not right".

[jeffdon4]

when it explodes, you can actually heard the boosters careening off

[neilzep]

sad moment in history

[neilzep]

@silenoz17 might want to take yr medications...psycho

[zellco321]

Thank Goodness is this video is back on You Tube.

May The Challenger 7 forever Rest in Peace.