[ADXA] CHALLENGER DISASTER

Wed Jan 28 18:08:35 EST 2026

I envy you Steve.  You were in the VIP viewing area.  I was 6 miles away in the general public viewing area...but at least they had that available.

You dad-burn right the ground shook!  Hi hi.

Don K5DB

From: adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net <adxa-bounces at mailman.qth.net> On Behalf Of Steven Rutledge
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2026 4:11 PM
To: adxa at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [ADXA] CHALLENGER DISASTER

Hi guys.  I grew up in Orlando.  My mother and father were standing in our driveway watching the launch.  They saw the whole thing.  My mother immediately knew it had blown up.  Every time that particular rocket was launched, it shook the windows in our house in Orlando and rattled the glasses and the china.  Later I was able to view a launch from the roof of the communications center with VP Quayle.  Reportedly the closest you can get to the launch.  Much closer than the press area.  It was incredible.  One other thing.  I have the UPI original teletype print-outs announcing the fire in the the capsule that killed Gus Grissom and the other Astronauts.  These were the old teletype machines like you probably saw in the military if are as old as me.  The reporters at the Cape were hand-typing the details from the scene.  Pretty amazing.

Sorry to get off topic here to all that aren't interested.

Steve, N4JQQ
On 1/28/2026 2:49 PM, Michael Reynolds, NO6O wrote:
Hi Don,

Has it been that long already?  I was working at the Sprint Communications Network Management Center, in Burlingame, CA.  I was a telecommunications technician, troubleshooting problems on the network.  This was back when it was necessary to dial a local access number to choose a long-distance carrier, other than AT&T.  It's also when Sprint completed their nationwide fiber optic system.

I happened to hear the announcement of the Challenger explosion on the radio, and called out to everyone.  Someone found a TV, and we watched the live reports coming in.

As for the Space Center, I used to be stationed at Patrick Air Force Base (now Space Force), near Cocoa Beach, in Florida.  I was in a tactical mobile communications unit.  I lived just down the coast from the Space Center, in Cape Canaveral.  I was there to see both Voyager 1 and 2 lift off.  That was the thrill of a lifetime, considering where they were headed.

Also, whenever a rocket happened to explode after take off, our unit would be deployed to search for debris.

Michael, NO6O

On 2026-01-28 2:28 PM, Don Banta wrote:
I cannot believe the time has flown so fast, but today is the 40th anniversary of the space shuttle Challenger disaster.  Perhaps this might be interesting to some of you:

Do you remember where you were and/or what you were doing that day on January 28, 1986?

It isn't hard at all for me to remember. - I was there...... at the Kennedy Space Center visitor launch viewing area, 6 miles from Launch Complex 39-B.

I was treated to one of the greatest thrills I've ever experienced.  Viewing a shuttle launch live is like viewing a total solar eclipse live...watching on television doesn't even come close.  Unfortunately, that thrill lasted only 72 seconds.  Within 10 minutes of the explosion, we were herded back on the bus that had brought us to the viewing area from the Kennedy Space Center visitor center.  We were then instructed to leave immediately as the base was being closed.  I had just enough time to sprint into the gift shop and gather a few items for mementos.

Although the racks were already almost bare, I was able to secure a Challenger button, flight patch, and packet of official NASA Challenger photos.  The next day before leaving our Orlando hotel, I found and purchased a copy of the Orlando Sentinel newspaper and after arriving back home had the front page laminated to preserve it.  A couple of weeks later I purchased the issue of People magazine that honored Christa McAuliffe:

[cid:image001.png at 01DC9078.BAE24AE0]
[cid:image002.png at 01DC9078.BAE24AE0]

73 - Don K5DB

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