A news cameraman was despatched to film what SHOULD have been a routine puff piece – reaction shots of the interested parties in the bleachers, at the latest shuttle launch. What he ended up filming was EXTRAORDINARY… [more below]
As the shuttle exploded, 74 seconds in, those who were familiar with launches knew their relatives and loved ones were DEAD – however, those attending their first launch initially assumed the explosion was merely separation of the vehicle’s stages. Thus, as some faces became wreathed with PAIN – others were still in awe at the majesty of it all.
But as word of what had ACTUALLY happened began to spread through the crowd like a slow cancer – those faces too became angst-ridden.
Meanwhile, the cameraman carried on doing his JOB – scanning the crowd for reaction shots. When his work was aired on the evening news bulletins, it had been cut down to a few seconds of sterile clips – but this is his FULL UNCUT footage.
It is followed by a piece, recorded shortly AFTER the disaster, where British media hack Alastair Stewart interviews a young woman named Heather Couper, who was the president of the British Astronomical Association. She only JUST manages to hold herself together.
This is the most moving video I have ever seen.
For more on this, please hit:- http://damienatloppers.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/damien-on-the-challenger-disaster/
source
NEW. I have just received a message on my column from the cameraman who SHOT this footage – it goes thusly… My name is Stephen Chavarie. I worked as a news cameraman for a local news station. I covered all the shuttle launches as my assignment. They had become rather routine and I thought I’d do something different that day and video the families and guests invited to watch the launch of the first school teacher in space. I shot this video. Watching it today brought a wave of emotions over me as I remember it like it was yesterday. I replied… It’s awesome to hear from you. The raw footage you shot still remains the most powerful I have ever seen. It gets accusations of “ghoulishness” in the comments, but I stand by my opinion that it needs to be seen, for its demonstration of pure emotion. I believe few watch it for base arousal – rather as a demonstration of the empathy of the human spirit. I only recorded it off air in its entirety by a fluke. Later, it got reduced to a “bite” – but I felt the full recording should be seen, as it shows humanity in crisis, without sanitisation.
How did it blow up
They survived the explosion. But fell into the ocean and drowned.
It was confusing at first because it looked normal at first
This was like 9/11 for gen x
I remember that morning and still cry nearly 40 years later
Criminal Charges Should Have Been Filed In This Diaster
I remember this when I was in elementary school. But this doesn't hold a candle to 9/11.
The girl at the end had it ALL WRONG!!!
Omg her parents. 😢
Terrible day for the world.
God bless all who have gone before and since. They are truly heroes and these are angels.
Those were blondes clapping when it exploded.
An we made it to the moon and back in the 60s without a hitch 👀🧐
I was 10 and every class in our school district was going to be watching this on Channel 1 which was an in classroom educational program that we watched for 15 minutes every day. I was home sick that day and didn’t want to miss it so I climb in my parents bed and watched. I called my mom at work in tears because I couldn’t believe what had happened. I then sat there in shock and grief for hours. These are the moments that are burned in memory so deeply you can recall the scene you were in. The whole thing plays like a movie in your head. It was such a tragic loss and every child was watching the Star of a Teacher that was selected. It was a huge deal…
Forever in our hearts!
So sad 🥀
Her parents are laughing ! Could it be because they know something we don't know ? 😁
I remember this day very well. I was so upset and made a memorial to the day. I think what hit me the most was that a it was the first civilian to go into space and I was so excited for her and her school children.
Bullshit. They are all alive and didn't even bother changing their names.
Damm O Rings
Challenger go throttle up pause clapping from audience
Blows my mind that this was PRIOR to the explosion & the cameraman was only focused on the damn crowd. Why he wasn't recording the flight is beyond me. Almost like he knew what was about to happen & wanted to record the reactions. Whole thing was a lie anyway. They're alive & & now live under different identities, many with similar names. Look into it. Can't be coincidence when every one of them has a doppelganger with similar names with careers in the same fields. I don't care if you don't believe me. You're just conditioned to believe everything & question nothing. To learn that your government does nothing but lie to you would probably shatter your simple little world & pop that tiny bubble that you're so proud to live in, smh. 😒
That was pretty epic
Imagine the students of the teacher who was on board, Just witnessing their teacher die in front of them. And the families. My mum and her class were watching the takeoff in their classroom and saw the explosion.
If this happend today, 40 million or so Americans would put on their red hatvand say its staged and everyone in the video was an actor
Came for the challenger got nothing but a bunch of old faces
Worseee Camera Manñn ever
I worked for the space program and I was an engineer working for the Flight Crew Support Division. I worked with various flights and though this flight wasn't assigned to me directly, we all helped with each flight at some capacity. I had met the crew on several occasions and one of the crew members went to our church, so we knew them all very well. They were a special bunch, especially this crew. Christa was a sweet, dedicated individual, who worked very hard to get on this flight. I normally didn't go to a launch that wasn't assigned to me, but I viewed this launch from building 8, at Johnson Space Center, in Houston. I was watching it on a huge screen, with several other engineers and various employees and the camera shot was very close, during "full throttle up," at the two minute mark. When the vehicle exploded, we knew it was much too abrupt and I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. As soon as the vehicle came into view at a further distance, I knew they were all dead. Unfortunately, several of them probably lived until impact on the water. They realized this, when the divers found some of the crew, which had accessed some of their PEAP packs, as well as other life support items. I had left the program, nine years later, to work in the oil industry. I missed the space program, but I didn't want to witness another tragedy, plus the programs were being cut very heavily. It's a shame, because America has always had a pioneering spirit and we need that again. It helps to have a common goal, unity, achieving something that no other country has achieved. There's nothing wrong with being first, or the best at something. I hate how politicians, especially the Democrats, try to teach our children that we aren't any better than any other country, nor do we need to lead the world in the exploration of space.
I was home sick from school this day, but watching avidly as I was OBSESSED with space travel. I was 6 at the time but in a total state of shock, not even old enough to realize how tragic this was, but I knew it was bad and wrong.
What is terrible is that the families were also unaware that their loved ones on the shuttle were still alive during this whole clip – in free fall in the crew cabin as it plummeted to the ocean so far below. These family members had no idea that they were watching their children and spouses fall back to the earth – all quite alive.
Almost 40 years and still heartbreaking.
stood in awe of God
The push for "Faster, Better, Cheaper" by NASA led to this. They were WARNED by engineers the O-rings couldn't stand up to that cold. But the flight had already been postponed at least once, and….well—-"FASTER," you know. THE SAME IDIOCY has now led to the POISONING of a large part of the Northeastern US and Canada by Norfolk Southern. WHEN will companies learn that "penny wise" is "pound foolish"–and that NO penny saved is worth LIVES?
PHILLIPINESEASP8KNTDD88755882338865588233889UN///-//-/
KRMCK8T2NTUUU55882338896655233889UN///-//-/