The soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
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Re: The soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
#2I did not know what to expect from ESPN, this was a really well written article.
Re: The soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
#3That was incredibly touching
Re: The soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
#4That was incredibly touching
The entire story thread was really well done. If anything it’s evidence of NASA’s soul as played out in the people who have built their lives around rocket operations.
Re: The soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
#5The story of the Challenger that day is one of the few things that can reliably squeeze a tear or two from me. Interestingly, I've never heard about this part of it, thanks.
Re: The soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
#6> You may not know it, but you carry some of his words with you in your own earthly exploration, printed in every U.S. passport.
This whole article was fantastic, but this was the coolest part for me. To learn that his quote is on every passport. I've never read the quotes on my passport before, but now I have.
Re: The soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
#7"the solid rocket boosters ignited and somewhere in the right booster, a 0.280-inch-wide O-ring failed due to the cold."
The 'solid rocket boosters' being constructed in segments because they had to be transported by rail from Utah. They had to be constructed in that state as part of the deal to get the politicians to vote in the finances.
Re: The soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
#8The story of the Challenger that day is one of the few things that can reliably squeeze a tear or two from me. Interestingly, I've never heard about this part of it, thanks.
Same here. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing, the smells and sounds, and how my teacher rushed to turn off the television we were all watching the launch on once it was clear what was happening. Kids crying, not understanding what was happening, the feel and look of the carpet, wall decorations, everything. It's the most vivid memory of childhood I have. I don't think I'll ever forget it.
I couldn't even read through this story.
Re: The soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
#9> You may not know it, but you carry some of his words with you in your own earthly exploration, printed in every U.S. passport. This whole article was fantastic, but this was the coolest part for me. To learn that his quote is on every passport. I've never read the quotes on my passport before, but now I have.
This was one of my favorite takeaways too
Re: The soccer ball that survived the Challenger explosion
#10"the solid rocket boosters ignited and somewhere in the right booster, a 0.280-inch-wide O-ring failed due to the cold." The 'solid rocket boosters' being constructed in segments because they had to be transported by rail from Utah. They had to be constructed in that state as part of the deal to get the politicians to vote in the finances.
I see what you're getting at, but the separate construction and transport was not the issue here. The O ring was a necessary pressure valve, but it failed because the cold made it brittle.
The bigger issue here was the politics between Nasa and it's contractors. The contractors told them that the launch would be dangerous at the temperature, but they were ignored.