Originally Posted By wahooskipper Living in South Florida I just experienced another set of sonic booms as the Space Shuttle Atlantis was returning from her last mission. It saddens me to think that we are about to go into a serious lull in terms of manned spaceflight. For just about my entire life the Space Shuttle program has been there. I remember seeing the test shuttle, The Enterprise (originally named the "Constitution" until Star Trek fans influenced a name change), driven through the streets of California in preparation for the early glider tests. I remember the first launch of Columbia in 1981 and the awe I felt not only when it went up but when it returned. It was like something out of a science fiction movie...but it was real. In 1986 I was sitting in a high school science class, of all places, watching the Challenger take off and then seeing my teacher jump out of his chair and turn off the television. It wasn't immediately known what happened but word spread through the school quickly and our principal confirmed on the p/a system what had happened. For my generation (those born after 1970) it was the first really significant catastrophe that was felt around the world. It was our JFK. As Mark Wills sang in a popular country song, "the space shuttle fell out of the sky...and the whole world cried." Later than night in a speech that will be remembered as one of the greatest Presidential speeches of all time, Ronald Reagan comforted the nation and the world saying: "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." I remember a remarkable trip to the KSC with a friend whom I roomed with during the WDW College Program. His contact with the PR Director at NASA gave us a rare opportunity for a behind the scenes tour of the Center. We got to ride the elevator up inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, drive out to the launch pads, walk behind the desks of Mission Control and, as luck would have it, go out to the runway and watch the Space Shuttle Columbia return from California on top of the 747. If you have never seen that close up it is something words won't do justice. I was so close I could have hit the side of the shuttle with a good, solid throw of a baseball. Several years later I was standing on a south Florida beach waiting to hear the return of another shuttle when the Columbia would break up over the western United States and another President would have to comfort the world. And, it wasn't that long ago when I was inpried by a senior citizen of all people. Call it a PR gimmick, call it politics, but I don't care who you are. Watching John Glenn return to space on STS-95 was yet another remarkable moment. I mean seriously, if he could go to space at his age, there really was hope for the rest of us! Knowing that the end of the Shuttle program was near I just could not imagine the thought of my children never witnessing history. So, late last year I skirted out of work early, grabbed my wife and kids and we drove the 3 1/2 hours up to the Titusville area frankly expecting that the launch would be delayed and we would miss out. But, as luck would have it we did see that beautiful night launch and my children, though young, should be able to remember that moment. So here we sit with two missions remaining; STS 133 in September and STS 134 in November. Two more missions to end a remarkable 40+ years of dreaming, designing, building and operating a vehicle that could escape the confines of earth and return. A science fiction recycling program for the ages. I will admit, math and science were not of much interest to me in school and really aren't part of my life now. The one thing that has kept me interested in those subjects over the years has been the shuttle program. I can't help but think about what will inspire my children now. As Jim Lovell said via Tom Hanks at the end of Apollo 13: "I sometimes catch myself looking up at the moon, remembering the changes of fortune in our long voyage, thinking of the thousands of people who worked to bring the three of us home. I look up at the moon, and wonder: When will be be going back? And who will that be?"
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb Beautiful said. I also lament the passing of the shuttle program. :-(
Originally Posted By Labuda Wonderful post, wahoo. I am a bit amazed that your teacher turned off the tv, though. I distinctly remember watching the Challenger launch in our 7th or 8th grade Gifted and Talented class, live - and our teacher made sure to leave it on, as we knew we were witnessing history. I'm not entirely sure I'd equate it with JFK, though, except for the fact that it was televised...
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I didn't mean to imply that it was on the same level as JFK because an assassination of a President is a singular, world wide implicating tragedy. But, for those born after 1970 (and before 9/11) it was the singular event that brought the nation and the world together in a moment of shared mourning the likes of which we didn't witness again until 9/11.
Originally Posted By dsnykid Wahoo, i understand what you are saying, being 35, I was not even a twinkle in my parents eye when JFK was assasinated so do not have that Where were you when memory, but I DO have it for the challenger crash, it is my first BIG memory of a social event, and I can tell you almost every detail of that afternoon. For this generation that memory will sadly be 9/11.
Originally Posted By disney pete really nice post skipper and agree wholeheartedly the shuttle programme will be missed,was lucky enough to see a launch back in 1997,have never made to to KSC but one day will get there.
Originally Posted By -em I ditto most of your words. I have always been a fan though it didn't hit high gear until I moved to Orlando and have watched every shuttle launch since moving back here 4 years ago. (though only 2 from the coast) I just cant fathom it being over in 6 months. For my generation the shuttles have been the "space program" and for the first time its "the end" with previous programs there has always been a "next" Mercury to Gemini to Apollo etc. It just baffles me that we put a man on the moon with very limited technology and computers that took entire rooms to do basic mathematics. Now we have infinite technology and we give up. -em
