When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions pts. 5&6, 6/22/08

[terpfan1980]

The footage of the Challenger disaster still tears me up to watch :(

[Adam1115]

That was REALLY rough.

I haven't ever watched the Challenger footage since 5th grade when it happened, and (of course) we were all watching live.

REALLLLY rough. I wasn't ready for that.

[terpfan1980]

That was REALLY rough.

I haven't ever watched the Challenger footage since 5th grade when it happened, and (of course) we were all watching live.

REALLLLY rough. I wasn't ready for that.

Sadly, the footage for Columbia was just as rough, if not rougher for me.

At the point of the Columbia disaster I had started working at one of the NASA centers (near DC). Not directly with anyone involved in flight missions on a regular basis, but still coming onto the center after those events was really tough.

I was involved in return to flight (in the background, doing IT support for people that do mission support) and was very happy to see Discovery make that glorious return to flight launch. Since that time I've been able to watch launches while working and each and every time I hold my breath and think about what has happened on prior missions. And do much the same every time a shuttle returns really.

I'll be sad when the shuttles are no longer flying, though I know they've really gone past their life span. Hopefully we won't be too long before we get the next generation equipment flying though. (And between now and then, there will be some pretty cool missions happening that will help to get things ready for putting man back on the moon :))

[Adam1115]

Sorry to hear that. Crap, I haven't gotten to the Columbia disaster yet...

[terpfan1980]

Over all I liked the series, but wish they had stretched it out by another episode or two really. I'd like to have seen a segment on some of the missions that happened before all of the concentrated work on the ISS. Missions like the one where the astronauts had to grab the slowly spinning satellite (by hand) and stop it from spinning. Basically a segment on the types of missions (outside of Hubble and ISS) that had been part of the original promise of the shuttle program.

Beyond that, it would have been nice to see a segment on events since return to flight, and the planning and effort that is going into the next Hubble servicing mission which is due for the fall.


I am kind of curious what will be included in the extra footage in the DVD set, but will probably just wind up renting via Netflix/Blockbuster to see that stuff.

[WinBear]

This was a little rougher to watch with both of the big disasters in one episode. However, I did like that they ended it on an up note and showed how they would plan to identify issues like the one that got Columbia.

[skoobisnaxs]

I watched it live in grade school too. Ill never forget it. We were all packed in the gym. Very sad.

[orome]

The return-to-launch footage of Discovery was something else. Zoom!

[unicorngoddess]

The Challanger stuff really freaked me out. I was told we watched this at school too...I think EVERY school was watching the live footage. But I have no recollection of it. I'm informed that we were just too young to really realize the magnitude of it.

But of course, I've seen footage and stuff of it since then...but I guess this is the first time I've really gotten all the information from it. I really always assumed that as soon as the shuttle went BOOM that they all must have tragically died instantaniously in the explosion. Last night when I heard what most probably happen, I was really upset. The one thought I always remember having...at least it happened fast, so they didn't suffer...was just disproved. Somehow them saying, they were most likely unconcious before they hit the water seems a lot scarier to me. Like, what if they weren't???

And then, of course, there was the Columbia. I remember that one. The shuttle broke up and scattered all over our state. Our news stations not only had to cover the disaster but warn us that if we were to find any pieces not to touch it or go near it and to call the authorities at once.

But, still, given the history of NASA and everything that could've gone wrong over all these years, it's amazing that there aren't more horror stories like these two. And even more amazing all the things that we have acomplished and learned thanks to these brave men and women :up:

[jsmeeker]

I've seen the Challenger footage many, many times since it first happened. I even knew about the speculation/talk about the crew surviving the inital explosion. About the only thing new for me was seeing footage of the solid rocket boosters being remotely detonated.

Some of the recent footage was pretty spectacular, though.

[marcello696]

I couldnt watch anymore after viewing the Challenger footage, the room got a little dusty.

I was in 7th grade at the time (really into the space program) and living in Florida where I could visibly see the shuttle launches from the courtyard at school.

I will never forget seeing the smoke trail break off into two streams and immediately saying to classmates something has gone wrong :(

10 minutes later we were all called into the assembly hall and our Principle was visibly shaken telling us the news

[Adam1115]

Somehow them saying, they were most likely unconcious before they hit the water seems a lot scarier to me. Like, what if they weren't???

The way I understood it was that there was no possible way they were conscious based on their altitude.

The reason they speculate that they were alive was that they turned on their oxygen and the piece they were in was intact until it smashed into the ocean.

[5thcrewman]

I was hoping they would end with some teaser stuff on the next-gen vehicle.