“Then, the explosion”: a Pulitzer-winning journalist recalls the Challenger disaster
source: http://www.scholarsandrogues.com/2011/07/21/then-the-explosion-a-pulitzer-winner/
-
-
- hoosierdaddy
- added this
Now, in Cocoa Beach, we were all looking upward, craning necks and holding ears. All was power and might and roar. No worries. NASA had a great track record. Then, the explosion. It fooled all of us. A big orange ball, then, the famous “devil’s fork” contrails of the two booster rockets continuing on, then the cottony contrails of something floating to earth (including one big one that later turned out to be the cabin with seven possibly still-alive astronauts inside).
One space buff diner, coffee still in hand, shouted “Boy, NASA fooled us again. A new launch rocketry configuration!” I started thinking about the contrails. That meant heat. That meant explosion.
One space buff diner, coffee still in hand, shouted “Boy, NASA fooled us again. A new launch rocketry configuration!” I started thinking about the contrails. That meant heat. That meant explosion.
-
- groups:
- Community
-
- tags:
- Science, Space, Journalism, Space Shuttle, 1 more
