What Happened To The Bodies Of The Challenger Crew?
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- Опубликовано: 4 июн 2024
- What Happened To The Bodies Of The Challenger Crew?
In 1986, the world was shaken by the devastating Challenger explosion, a tragedy that claimed the lives of seven exceptional crew members. It was a sorrowful one that even the then President Reagan declared a week of mourning to honor their sacrifice. Till today, many wonder what happened to the bodies of these crew members. Were they recovered? Were they given a proper burial? Or were they lost in the explosion? Join us as we uncover these details.
Before we delve right into what happened to the bodies of the challenger crew, let's first get to meet the crew members.
It was truly a sad day. I was the Chief military engineer for the Air Force Titan 34D launch vehicle at the time. I was standing out on the balcony of the Vertical Integration Building that faced the Shuttle pad about 3 miles away as the crow flies. We had a launch vehicle on Pad 40 at the time waiting to launch. I watched as the Shuttle went up and I realized the fate of the mission as soon as I saw the Shuttle solid motors separate prematurely. It was surreal. May they all rest in peace. 🙏
Still after all these years . I still feel the gut wrenching sadness of that terrible day ! RIP !
I witnessed this, personally. I live in Central Florida. I was sickened and so very saddened when I saw the destruction in the sky above me. Christa McAuliffe and all of these astronauts died as heros, of any time.
I was a junior in high school. We were all watching it live in combined classrooms because there was only so much AV equipment. We all just sat there staring, like 'what just happened?', 'was that supposed to happen??'. When we realized it after a few minutes, no one said anything, not even the class smartasses. Just hands over mouths and tears from many of us. Not a sound, for a full 5 minutes, which is a long time in a high school classroom crammed with 3 classes of kids. I still cry when I see it.
I was 7 years old when Challenger was destroyed. I remember, like most people did on January 28, 1986, watching it live on TV. My sister was watching it with me & I will never forget this as long as I have my sane mind. My sister & I walked out of the house in pure shock! My mama, now dearly departed from us, said sarcastically, "What are you crying for?" We told her, the space shuttle blew up on live TV. She then changed her attitude was we had just watched something horrific. January 28th since 1986, has been a true day of sadness for me. God bless Dick Scobee, Michael Smith, Judith Resnik, Ronald McNair {WITH WHICH I CAN PROUDLY SAY I CELEBRATE A BIRTHDAY WITH}, Ellison Onizuka, Gregory Jarvis & Teacher In Space Christa McAuliffe! GONE, BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN!
Very sad day. My brother was in the Air Force at the time of the Challenger blowing up he went into a bathroom stall and on toilet paper wrote the tribute for the Challenger. Then he actually transferred it to paper. I do believe the Shreveport Louisiana newspaper printed it. I do believe the tribute hangs in the Johnson space center to this day.
A horrible preventable tragedy. The only saving order from mission control center would have been "scrub" before the 30 second count down. Admiration and respect to the memory of Space Shuttle Challenger crew.
When I worked in Civil Engineer, I worked with a guy, who worked on the Challenger booster rockets. He told me it was too cold for the launch of the Challenger causing the faulty O-ring in the right solid rocket booster seal to fail at ice-cold temperatures led to the destruction issues on the Space Shuttle. The NASA commissioner in charge of the shuttle project ignored it. Sadly, this happened R.I.P Christa McAuliffe 1948-1986, Dick Scobee 1939-1986, Ellison Onizuka 1946-1986, Judith Resnik 1949-1986, Ronald McNair 1950-1986, Michael J. Smith 1945-1986, Gregory Jarvis 1944-1986.
I live right down the road in Palm Ba;y, and had just pulled my truck off the road to get a picture. I got my picture for sure, less than 10 seconds after the initial explosion. Every car on US 1 was stopped in the road listening to our radios in a state of shock. Good video, very informative, thank you..
My wish is that they weren't conscious all the way down
This is what happens when public relations overrides science, logic and common sense. Machines don't care. And neither do some people.
May their souls rest in eternal peace 🙏🏼
Should never been launched in cold temperatures.
I remember this and is sad beyond belief...May they all rest in peace. May this never happen again...Peace
Very sad day. I watched the live telecast as she blew up. Still remember exactly where I was at that time. Not different from 9/11 2001. Both events left detailed permanent memory imprints on millions. Both events were vastly different, but similar in that they were so surreal.
I was in class at the University of Texas at Austin. The class was Physics in Science Fiction - we read science fiction stories and determined whether the story could really happen based upon the principles of physics. The professor walked into class and announced that the shuttle had “just exploded on the launch pad.” We all knew this was the flight the teacher was on, and we were in shock. He dismissed class early, and we all went to various places on campus where we could see news coverage. It was a terrible day. 😔
I remember watching this while getting my children ready for school so sad for all their families.
I saw it in Sweden so tragic for all
I was 14 years old, sitting in Mrs. Kennedy's 8th grade AP Algebra classroom watching with the rest of my classmates. It was dead silent after the initial Whoop whoop whoop cheering from the lift off… the silence was broken by a sickening gurgle which then erupting into a blood curdling scream from Mrs. Kennedy… She was so proud to have a connection to the first teacher in space, being a teacher herself… and one of the best I ever had, to be frank…. The moment that Challenger Exploded is something that has been imprinted on me and the surrealness of the event has only ever been matched two other times by the attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Building in OKC on 4/19/1995 and the WTC Twin Towers on 9/11 2001… all three events are permanently imprinted on me and I will never forget where I was on those days… I worked in Downtown OKC in the Liberty Tower when the Murrah building was destroyed… I watched the WTC attack live on the news that morning in 2001 while I was getting ready to go to work… but the event that affected me the most as always been the loss of the USS Challenger … I guess it was my age at the time, being 14 and impressionable… I was also extremely interested in Astronomy and space travel… at the time, I thought I wanted to one day be an astronaut myself… unfortunately, the Challenger explosion destroyed that aspiration and I took a different path in life… this video brought back a lot of memories and it made me wonder, what would my life had been like had the Challenger explosion never happened? Would I have pursued a career at NASA? I'll never know,,, RIP Challenger Crew… you are all heroes… may your memory live on and your sacrifice never be forgotten!
This launch was such huge news at the time and I watched it from South Africa - the heart stopping disbelief and absolute silence as the explosion happened. Still so very very sad to watch. But it reminds me of the Titan submersible, and current aircraft manufacturers who refuse to acknowledge engineers reports and concerns...
In short...wait till it warms up a bit before you fire up the engines.
Simple as That !!
You still make us proud as you continue reaching for the stars. RIP Crew of the Challenger.
Our fragile human bodies are gone in an instant in those circumstances
My wife and i were visiting Santa Cruz CA and we got up for an early walk on the beach. We saw the news on TV while getting ready.
As we walked along the early morning, deserted beach, a lone person came walking towards us and asked if had heard the news. It was a truely somber morning on that cool deserted beach.
So sad all of their twins were unable to attend the funeral service.
I'm surprised there is still a debate about whether or not the crew died. NASA was very closed mouth about an escape system, even after it was developed, because public awareness of how the system worked POINTED to the inescapable conclusion the crew survived the initial failure. In addition to what they developed as an escape system, it was common knowledge in the Air Force life support sections that all the crewmembers survived the failure, as their oxygen meter toggles had been moved to the 100% setting, which could have only been done manually, and was on the emergency procedures checklist
There was several warning signs prior to launch that mission control saw and found that should have scrubbed of delayed the mission. But all that was on their mind is the mission must take place. May the honored crew find peace for something that should have been prevented
I remember that five years later a short item appeared in Time magazine. NASA had revealed that during the fall a voice, unidentified, said, "Hold my hand."
I saw this back in the day. I still cannot rewatch this footage.
What a sad event. I was in the Navy, underway in the pacific when this happened. Unfortunately, the mentality that ultimately was responsible for this tragedy is still prevalent in our society today. I designed power lines for 6 different power companies, all of which ignored safety, to some extent, to save money. I had to walk away from the industry due to the level of incompetent decisions and lack of code compliance. Too many people are not being held accountable for their irresponsible decisions.
I remember this like it was yesterday.
I was 11 years old..we watched it in my 5th grade class live ...
Sad time in U S history. Couldnt believe that happened. Love n light to their families ❤
No proper crew cabin ejection system in Challenger is an engineering failure. The problem strikes again in Columbia 2003. Nothing learned. Nothing changed.
Even the words, "I am deeply sorry and I sincerely apologize" to the families and loved ones of the astronauts will never suffice for the loss of their lives and the pain that this preventable tragedy have left behind. Those at the top of NASA who knew exactly about the faulty O rings but still gave the launch a go have this burden of guilt for causing the death of these astronauts to deal for the rest of their lives and shame that befell on their families and their generations.
I know the man who made the fateful decision to launch the challenger.
He was the vice-president of Morton Thiokols booster division.
My ex wifes uncle Joe. His wife cut my hair the day before I married his niece. They attended the wedding.
Damn nice guy, and I know that this is a heavy weight for that man.
Truly a gentle and considerate person.
I watched this live in my senior year of high school, the whole class was quiet after it happened. I will never forget that day!
it takes the bravest of the brave to willingly challenge the unknown
Proper warnings and concerns were abundant. It was a failure of protocol and those decisions must and should haunt those that made them despite the warnings and data. Kudos to those that voiced their concerns ahead of the launch.
Rest in peace to the crew 😔
NASA, like other government agencies, are quiet on this one. They mentioned remains that could mean body parts.
Is was so heartbreaking and will never forget that day. My second son was 4 months old and I just got back to my bowling league which I did with my mother. We just went in to a local restaurant to get lunch and everyone was watching the TVs. When we realized what happened I was remembering how I used to get so excited to watch all the space launch’s. I didn’t even know there was a launch that day. The launch’s had become on beg deal so there was hardly any news of them on TV. My heart breaks every time I see things about the Challenge. Rest in peace you brave men and women.
A bit of caution and delay could have prevented this tragedy! How does one become a top official of NASA and not have the brains to wait an extra day?
Their memory will not be forgotten. Peace to them and their families
Doing some emergency plumbing, I balanced the heavy tank lid in a questionable manner. In a few seconds, the lid was in pieces.
This lead to a good rule for risk assessment:
"I think it will be okay" IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
I watched this live. Excitement turned to horror. Was so shocking for all of us, especially their loved ones. May they all rest in peace🌟.🌍🌎🌏🌟
So basically if they weren't unconscious when the explosion happened!, they for sure perished when they hit the ocean!so very sad. 27:44 I hope they didn't feel anything !once that happened
Some said the cockpit survived and some astronauts were still alive when it hit the ocean.
Christa was a Teacher at My Junior High, Ben Foulois Junior High, He Was A General, Born 1879, Flew Some of First Planes from Wright Brothers, Was Army, Later Air Force. Our Town was Mostly Air Force, across the Street From Andrews Air Force Base, Now, called Joint Force Andrews.
Father and Mother both Air Force. She was a Good Teacher, Her and the Crew are Missed😢
I was at Rucker, in Primary, briefing for our morning flight, when somebody walked in and turned on the TV. Never forget that moment, total silence w/ jaws dropped and gasps of total shock. The enormity of that event affected every military aviator on the planet! RIP Challenger crew.🇺🇸
And our tax $ paid the leaders, who wouldn't listen to the enginner's warning, a One million dollar bonus. Should have charged the company instead of rewarding the management.
Reagan was doing the State of the Union speech the following week. He pushed for NASA to do launch in time for his speech despite the engineer's warning about the O rings.
As the company USBI contractor to NASA at this time. After launch, The left and right 2 boosters splash down in the Atlantic with 3 main parachutes, for the SRB left and right for water recovery, by 2 ships, Liberty, and Freedom ?. SRBS dewatered to float, and cable float towed to Fla. SRBS went to a contractor for refurbishment, only 2 times then destroyed.
Thanks. I really needed to know they looked like pumpkins fired out of a canon at a wall of stone.
This will keep me awake at night for the rest of my life. Way to go!!
So they increased safety? Well they dropped the ball again when the second one burned up
I worked at Patrick AFB, years after the Challenger Disaster. I meet Astronaut Story Musgrave, who told me about the Challenger Disaster. The main compartment was still intact after the explosion. Astronaut Scobee flew the shuttle until he either black out from excesses g’s or impact into the ocean. I was supposed to be there for Columbia when it landed, but had to take my Mom to the hospital that Saturday.
Management will kill you and accept no responsibility.
I was on the flight line of VFA 106 at NAS Ceil Field, Jacksonville FL looking south when it exploded and thought that’s not normal. Walked into the hanger and everyone huddled around the TV repeatedly showing the explosion.
Rest in peace and thank you!
I was an Air Force 2nd Lt watching the live launch in the lobby with my classmates of our technical training school at Lowry AFB, Denver, CO. We were all excused from class to watch the launch. We were all confused and then in complete shock. Class was dismissed that day.
I remember watching this on TV with my class I was in 1st grade.
Dear Jesus have mercy on their souls, may the souls of the faithful departed rest in PEACE🙏
I was pregnant with my oldest son. I had recently relocated from Florida to Arizona. While living in Florida my roommate and I would drive frequently to the spot directly across from the pantries on the launch pad. We would get to our favorite spot on Cape Kennedy Causeway. There would be a thousand or more (mostly) tourists Parked on the causeway awaiting launch time. This launch is the final one I was able to view. When it went haywire, I was so overcome with grief that I went into labor and gave birth to my son. I know that these seven crew members are resting peacefully. I pray for the families and their peace
I work in the business that sell orings. That shuttle had absolutely no reason take off that day. They knew everyone knew those Orings had never been test at the temperature level. It was absolutely preventable. Rip my dear sweet angels. You live in our lives and hearts and your soul will live the place you loved most. Way up high in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Morton Thyacol told nasa not to launch cause of the seals weren’t playable to seal off the fuel, nasa didn’t listen
were those who gave the OK for lift off prosecuted for manslaughter??
I was 4 almost 5.. I felt truly honored to go to Christa Mcauliffe Middle School in South East Florida. I’m so glad the crew was found and are buried in their home spot, at sea, and together.. May they alway Rest In Peace! 😢😢❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Watched this live at age 19 😢
This was sooo heart breaking. 😭
I was in my teens watching this in the Philippine islands. The whole world watching this.
I was 10 when this happened. A whole generation of children were traumatized by this accident. We were all excited a school teacher was to going to space. And we all saw it live on TV! After all these years, it’s still a pivotal memory.
Thank you for this brief but comprehensive review of this tragic event I remember when the breaking news reported on the radio as I was taking my lunch break in my car so many years ago now. I was 20 years old. This was such an incredibly sad event everyone was talking about at the time.
The question is: why did the solid fuel rocket tubes have O-ring sealed joints at all? That was a fundamental weak point. The answer is that the rockets had to be transportable by air, and the US did not have an aircraft capable of carrying an entire one-piece rocket tube. Hence they had to be made in sections which were assembled after transport. Bad engineering. I think the whole space shuttle project was doomed from the start: something that ungainly and complicated was bound to fail sooner or later under the stresses of launching and re-entry, and it did, on both counts.
It was an iconic day !
Sitting on the floor waiting & watching this exciting day. Anticipating a beautiful lift off to the destination of history but .... Everyone in the USA was standing or sitting,... Staring at the TV 📺... Wondering what just happened.
I worked at JSC on the Space Shuttle Simulators. We routinely worked with members of the crew.
A week or so prior to the "health stabilization" phase of launch preparation where the crew went into quarantine, I was having lunch at the NASA cafeteria, after attending a meeting in Building 5. The cafeteria was moderately busy, and so seats were a bit of a premium. Christa asked if I minded sharing "my" table. And I welcomed her to have a seat.
We talked for a bit. She was clearly excited to be finishing final training and rehearsal for her flight. To be starting on what would be the adventure of a lifetime.
Having started my lunch a bit earlier, and having an important meeting to attend, I wished her a safe flight, and excused myself.
On the day of the launch, I was standing in Sim Control, watching a video feed of the launch. We had a console station that repeated data from mission control. I looked away from the video, to check the console. I saw the display loose telemetry, and looked back to the video, only to watch, in horror, as the Shuttle Challenger broke up.
People I worked with, had lost their lives.
Ironically, I had been reading some old Air Force studies just that week. When the Air force was considering joining the Shuttle program, they did a risk assessment.
The risk assessment said that the Air Force felt that, due to the danger involved in flying the Shuttle, it was estimated, statistically, that they would loose 3.2 crews in 10 years of flying the spacecraft. This was considered an acceptable level of risk.
NASA did far better than that estimate, loosing only two crews over the entire program.
I'm sure that the Pilots and Mission Commanders understood the risk fully. They spent years doing simulations, and the outcomes of some of those simulations wasn't always good. And sometimes the answer was "Let's hope that never happens in real life."
The definition of "courage" is, in my opinion, knowing the risk of doing something, knowing it could end badly, and doing it anyway. Because the end goal was worth the price.
I'd like to believe that each of the crewmembers knew the risk, and accepted that risk, in exchange for what they might learn or achieve.
It's further clear that the crew "kept flying", even when things were falling apart around them. This is the highest "service" one can perform, using your skill, training and knowledge to try to fly your way out of an impossible situation, trying to save your fellow crewmates. To never give up. True heros, every one.
I still cannot believe how people made jokes about their head and shoulders on the beach. That made me so sick. Some people have no heart, or sense at all. This was truly one of the single most horrible tragedies, along with 911, that we will ever experience in our lifetime, so far.
After the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986, the remains of the seven crew members were recovered from the Atlantic Ocean. The crew compartment of the Challenger was found intact underwater and retrieved by a salvage vessel.
The crew cabin, with the remains of the astronauts inside, was located two months after the disaster. The bodies of the astronauts were not recovered until the crew cabin was brought to the surface. The remains were found and removed from the cabin by Navy divers and recovery teams.
Following the recovery, the remains of the crew members were taken to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for identification and examination. The process of identifying the crew members and determining the cause of death was carried out by medical examiners.
The crew members were honored and remembered for their bravery and dedication to space exploration. The Challenger disaster had a profound impact on the space program and led to improvements in safety protocols to prevent similar tragedies in the future.😢 😞
its one of those moments where you remember where and what you were doing when you heard the news. like j.f.k assassination., Reagan shooting, 9-11.ect.
I remember it well and all went quiet
I was 9 when this happened and I was at school in 4th grade. I remember it well. The whole school watched it live on TV. What we didn't know at the time was the crew capsule was still intact when it impacted the water at a very high rate of speed, instantly killing all onboard. This means they knew their fait for several MINUTES of free falling.
My condolences 😢
Along with my first wife and daughter we were stationed in Sicily the night we watched it happen.
For those of us around to experience, we remember all too well. I was working in a restaurant with CNN on the TV when it occurred.
God bless the crew🙏
I was in the 7th grade. It happened during lunch and my science teacher had the tv turned on when we got back. We couldn't believe what we were seeing. The science class that day was watching the coverage of the disaster.
I remember watching this when I was a little kid on the news. It was so awful. This is one of the better documentaries I have seen. Thank you for making it.
My heartfelt condolences to the families of all 7 crew members, I was 9 years old then and am 48 now and with understanding and knowledge have become to know the true severity of the situation which unfolded. Sending hugs for you all. Continued Rest In Peace all crew. Juls 💝💝💝 XX
This tragedy happened on my grandpas birthday I came two years later in 1988 on his birthday I was told the story of the challenger exploding on our birthday and how each one of the crew members wanted to make a positive difference it breaks my heart still
R.I.P....In God hands now..
They knew there was problems The launch should hav never taken place Terrible loss of 7 dear prople
I remember looking for remnants of aircraft and people in hot, humid, swampy areas in Texas and Louisiana. Our crew only found small pieces. My last in-person launch was Noah' Ark.
They were found in the cockpit O2 was in use. Bodies where recovered and brought to shore in barrels
Neither the Challenger nor the Columbia tragedies should have happened. Engineers had warned about the O-rings and cold temperatures, and later that it was only a matter of time until the Columbia suffered yet another heat tile failure but in a critical location. Tiles had failed before in other locations on the shuttles. May they all rest in peace with the Lord.
Judith Resnik was an exceptional individual.
I was 21 years old, pregnant, living in Eagle Rock, CA, watching this live. I couldn't believe my eyes...God Bless their souls.😢 They will never be forgotten.❤
During the years I was a church organist, we annually paid tribute to these noble men and women with hymns and special readings. Many members of the congregation spoke of their longing to enjoy their company in Heaven.
I watched this in my science class in elementary school as the ship exploded. Everybody was in shock, nobody of our age could understand what happened. This was really a tragedy for a generation.
We know what happened now. The O-rings were frozen, it was too cold, they shouldn't have launched, the launched due to political pressure. This is where I learned my hatred of politicians at 14. They're incompetent, extremely incompetent. It's a pity that future generations haven't learned how stupid they are in everything.
I had the day off and was watching from home. When the explosion happened, there was no close up at that point. But, you could see a flash and what looked like something going in two different directions. It was obvious from watching that something was wrong. But, the families were looking up from a distance. I remember thinking they have no idea. It took what seemed like a few minutes until they were told over load speakers.
My dad was in the Navy serving at the Naval Training Center in Orlando. I grew up on the McCoy Annex next to Orlando International Airport. I had just finished my lunch at Durrance Elementary and l was walking out for recess and I saw this happen live and in real time. MayGod keep these brave explorers…
As a freshman in high school watching that live, I can't tell you how hurt it made me feel. Then, decades later to find out they forced the flight because of the media coverage when they knew it was too cold and icy for liftoff. No one should have been outside in Florida at 22 degrees! That temperature is Michigan weather, and I live in Michigan!
They are all alive and well. If you know, you know.😊😊
I wondered if they survived the freefall
Once again this proves that politics took president over safety.
I was seven years old and our school was watching live. I was so sad at the thought of a teacher blowing up in space (now I realize that' the capsule was jettisoned, but that doesn't bring comfort - I wish they'd had escape parachutes). The kids who were in school on 9/11 suffered a similar trauma. You never quite get over a national tragedy suffered at such a young age.
I remember watching this. I remember how everyone was in such dis belief including all the news reporters that a lot of time went by and everyone was hoping for things like the shuttle disconnected and was flying down, they climbed into a separate escape pod and are still alive, etc. It seems like hours went by and still nobody in NASA could confirm their fate, understandably so, they could only "not" prove they were alive. It was the weirdest thing, everyone hoping for the best outcome but not wanting to embrace the reality.