Challenger Explosion

The Challenger explosion has haunted me for 25 years. Today the media is remembering the anniversary of the tragic event. ~~ It affected me personally: I was working at NASA, at Edwards Air Force Base, in Southern California. I was the secretary to the Program Director. The launches had become very commonplace but excitement for NASA employees. The Director's office was full of co-workers watching on NASA closed-circuit TV. I could see the TV from my desk just outside his office. ~~ No, we didn't know the astronauts personally but we [I] felt they were family. We grieved the loss with the families. ~~ It was five or six years before another shuttle (Endeavour) was launched--and landed at Edwards AFB. Many employees (and yours truly) lost their jobs. (I was there to see the safe return of Endeavour.)

I'm living in Florida now--not far from the Kennedy Space Center. A local television station produced a program regarding the Challenger 25th Anniversary. ~~ After several postponements, perhaps I'll see a launch of Discovery from the Wycliffe Associates RV Park.