The dream of watching the Challenger shoot into the exquisite, brightly lit galaxy was not only mine but my whole team’s for almost a full year now.   Since I was a little girl I knew I'd be a part of something that would affect the whole world. Today, January 28, 1986, was finally the day I had dreamed of my entire life. It was the launch that the whole country had been looking forward to.  

       I stood directly in the sun's rays, gazing at the launch pad. The sky was a brilliant blue and fluffy white clouds filled the empty space. The crisp and clean air filled my lungs with anticipation. I felt a sense of awe and wonder. The shuttle was a beautiful machine, a testament to human ingenuity and determination. I knew that it was capable of great things, and I was proud to be a part of the team that would make it happen. The crackling noise of my walkie-talkie knocked me back into reality. 

       “Beep. Crackle.  Hey Alison, we are going to…” The person over the walkie- talkie paused. Beep. Crackle.  Sorry, we are going to delay the launch. We found something wrong with the shuttle, so we are just gonna double check.” 

       “Okay, Thank you.” A wave of disappointment hit me. I was so excited to watch the crew board and fly off into outer space.

       I walked away from the launchpad, heading back into the building, preparing myself for the long journey back to my office to finish up some paperwork. 

       A few hours later the crackling from my walkie talkie started up again. “Crackle. Beep. Crackle. Okay, we are finally ready to launch; please hurry and get down here!” 

       I let out a sigh of relief and dashed out of my office to the same spot I was before to watch the launch.

       As the countdown began, I felt my heart racing. This was it. The moment I had been waiting for. I could feel the power of the engines, the rumble of the rocket as it prepared to launch. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves. 

       Just seconds after lift off, everything changed. There was a sudden explosion, a burst of flames and smoke. My heart stopped, and I felt a sense of overwhelming sadness and disbelief. As I watched the shuttle explode, there was a  sense of loss I had never experienced before. I had been so sure that this mission would be known as the greatest mission in American history, but now I never want to think of it again.

       I started to think of the seven members whose lives were claimed by the tragedy, especially Christa McAuliffe, a seventh grade English and American History teacher, just excited to be able to cover new grounds and teach her students from space. I still wonder if there was anything I could have done that would have prevented this from happening, and deep in my heart I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt and responsibility. 

       That dreadful day NASA lost seven astronauts, parents lost their children, wives and husbands lost their lovers, kids lost their parents, sisters and brothers lost their siblings, and a school lost a teacher. From now on, January 28th, 1986 will forever be known as the day the whole world went quiet.

-Emma T.