Thank you for posting these notes. I think every generation has it's Kennedy moment, and for mine I feel like this was it. Or, maybe it's not specific to one generation, but that every 10-20 years something so unsettling occurs nationally or internationally that everyone can remember exactly where they were, who they were with, and how they experienced it: Pearl Harbor, JFK, 9-11. I remember everything from when this happened so clearly. I grew up in Maine, only an hour or so away from where Christa McAuliffe taught in New Hampshire, so we in New England were all so proud of her achievement. It wasn't like the shuttle launches before or after, which were routine and not always largely followed. The launch was a huge event and our school (I was in 8th grade) made sure all of us were able to watch on TVs brought into the classrooms just for the occasion. Literally every kid in the school was watching the launch live. As the disaster unfolded we were all in such disbelief, then overwhelming emotion. I think people today often don't realize or forget what a huge impact this made on the space program. Manned flight was called into question and the costs were also questioned. As the investigation unfolded, other questions arose about the program and placed it under further scrutiny. I think we still see echoes of that criticism today because people don't realize how much space exploration serves as a catalyst to inspire people into all sorts of other scientific fields and endeavors.
