Submitted February 2, 2004, 6:25 AM
What were your thoughts and feelings when you heard that Columbia was lost?
I saw the loss of Columbia live on TV, as I always watch launches and landings here in Germany if possible. As a flight and space enthousiast and private pilot I always feel excited and amazed by Shuttle operations. Then, when Comm was lost, I felt something might be wrong the moment the slightly worried faces in the Control room were shown. When the first pictures of the disintegrated Shuttle came in, I felt sad and shocked, and thought about the consequences for the programme, all at once. I found it especially hard to see that the Controllers did not get the same info and pictures TV viewers got, still trying the "UHF Comm Check" when many people around the globe already knew what had happened.
Never forget this Crew !
|
If you are old enough to remember, please compare your responses to other important moments in space travel like the Challenger disaster and the moon walk.
In 1986, when Challenger was lost, I was 11 years old and sat in front of the TV to watch the launch, just as I usually do today. The explosion was such a shock, that I first denied the possibility that the crew had been killed. It needed hours to really reach me.
|
Have your views of space travel changed over time?
I still believe space travel is worth the effort. However, NASA appears in a different light today than it did when I was 11 years old. The people at NASA are just as human as anyone else, and human beings always make mistakes. As an 11 year old I never thought about budget pressures, mismanagement or aging shuttles. Today I do, but I still think NASA does and did a great job in difficult times.
|
Name
In addition to saving your story to the archive, may we post it to the web? (yes/no)
|
|
© 1996–2009, Center for History and New Media. (Copyright Notice)
|
