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:

 






 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


73 – Don K5DB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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