Eyes on the Stars - Neatorama

It's been 27 years, but it seems like yesterday. On January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just a few seconds after launch. One of the astronauts aboard was physicist Ronald McNair. In this video from StoryCorps, McNair's brother talks about his childhood in Lake City, South Carolina. Link -via mental_floss

I remember it clearly. My brother came running downstairs and shouting "The space shuttle blew up! The space shuttle blew up!" We ran to the TV and watched the coverage.

Shame on that librarian! A disgrace to the profession.

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I well recall watching the coverage that day, with that same awful vapor trail, over and over. At work, which now makes me feel old.

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Here's that library today: The Ronald E. McNair Life History Center.

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I was sitting at my desk on campus, and me and my boss were listening to the radio, when the programming was interrupted to announce the shuttle had exploded, killing all onboard. We were simply stunned into silence. Harder to imagine a January day in western Washington state could get any grayer, but I recall that hour as very dark and quiet.

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I was up in a mountain with a group from school. Stunned by the tragedy, as I was surrounded by nature, far from the city conforts while they, wrapped in the highest technology, soaring thru the sky couldn't stave off death. I felt vulnerable and cried.

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Ron's loss was America's loss.

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StoryCorps is a jewel. It is too early to understand its importance.

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