#michael j smith

The Challenger Crew Official Portrait STS-51-L

Please stop in your day and take a moment to remember the Crew of STS-51L, who all perished on board the Space Shuttle Challenger on January 28, 1986.  Exactly 31 years ago, the crew posed for their official portrait on November 15, 1985. In the back row from left to right: Ellison S. Onizuka, Sharon Christa McAuliffe, Greg Jarvis, and Judy Resnik. In the front row from left to right: Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, and Ron McNair.  The shuttle they flew was called the Challenger: a challengerwas someone who defied expectations, who disputed what could be done or what was known, who attempted a difficult task or problem.  And although challengeentered English in the late 13th century with negative connotations of falseness, the modern meaning dates back to the 17th century. These seven people did not see space as an empty void but rather as the next step in a series of steps ever upward, ad astra.  It was for them not a challenge at all but a privilege to fly, and they did so willingly, hopefully, happily, taking all of our hopes and dreams with them.  I watched this launch live with my high school science teacher Terry Uselton (who had applied for the Teacher in Space program) and remember both the excitement and promise that morning and the horrible aftermath.  

To these seven people and their families, I say thank you for daring to challengeus all with your determination and bravery.  And to the tens of thousands at NASA and its contractors and affiliates around the world, I say thank you for devoting your lives to science to make my life and world better.  And to Terry Uselton, thanks, Teach, I’m still working in my own way on science!

Image courtesy NASA, in the public domain.

Social Distancing: Challenger: The Final Flight (Docu-Series) - #29

Synopsis: When the Space Shuttle Challenger blew up in 1986, it was the most shocking event in the history of American spaceflight. The deaths of seven astronauts, including the first teacher in space Christa McAuliffe, were watched live on television by millions of viewers. However, what was more shocking was that the cause of the disaster might never be uncovered.

My Take:  Many of us were either babies/children or not even born when the Challenger disaster happened, but I think many can recall hearing something about this at least at one point in their life. This series takes an interesting look behind the scenes of the Challenger disaster. I enjoyed learning about the other astronauts on the flight. It seems like when I read or saw discussions about the topic it focused mainly on the teacher – Christa McAuliffe, who was on the flight. It was good to hear about the lives of the others who died in the tragedy. Also, it was interesting learning how NASA worked to improve the racial and gender diversity of the space program, how the decision to send a teacher up in space came about and what the astronaut training process entailed. What was sad and disturbing about this series was of course the untimely deaths of (8) individuals who were on the doomed shuttle, but the fact that those who knew of the deadly risk, under the circumstances, and thus could’ve and should’ve stopped the flight, didn’t, due to the monetary loss that would be suffered. The series highlights what we continue to see in our society, no matter the risk or how much tragedy comes from putting money over lives, sadly, for many, money will always take precedence over lives. This is a good educational series, especially for who’ve always had and interest in the space program and who are not familiar with all that happened with the Challenger disaster.