"Challenger" in All Of The Above

Before moving to Colorado, I worked at Kennedy Space Center on the Space Shuttle program.

Hiring on with Rockwell International in January 1979, I quickly grew attached to the each of the Orbiters, the people who made them work, and the ones who took them into space.

I always liked the name "Challenger" and there was a lot of pride in all of us who worked on "OV-099" - her technical name.

It was with a certain amount of trepidation that I saw "Challenger" on the launch pad the night of January 27, 1986. I was working third shift, and the brilliant lights illuminating Pad B made the Shuttle stack seem...ominous, but trusting NASA and the launch team to make the right decision, I figured my feelings were just normal pre-launch anxieties.

Tuesday morning came, and I'd set my alarm for 11am so I wouldn't miss the launch.

The clock counted down, and "Challenger" and her crew lifted off...into history.

Rest in peace.