.
30 YEARS AGO TODAY THE
SPACE SHUTTLE CHALLENGER
EXPLODED ON LIVE TV KILLING ALL
SEVEN CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD.
THE O RING ON ONE OF THE SOLID
ROCKET BOOSTERS FAILED CAUSING
THE CHALLENGER TO BREAK APART
73 SECONDS AFTER LAUNCH.
TODAY NASA TAKES THIS DAY OF
REMEMBRANCE.
TAREK IS FOLLOWING THE STORY
AND TALKS ABOUT LOCAL SAILORS
DISPATCHED TO HELP NASA FIND
THE CHALLENGER DEBRIS.
TAREK.
Reporter: LONG BEFORE THE
CHALLENGER SHUTTLE LIFTED OFF
FROM THE STATE THAT IS
MOURNING, SHIP WERE ALREADY AT
SEA READY TO RECEIVE THE ROCKET
BOOSTER REUSED ON THE SHUTTLE
FLIGHT.
30 YEARS AGO ON THIS DAY.
SOLID ROCKET BOOSTER WOULD
BRING DOWN THE SHUTTLE AND NOW
THE NAVY INCLUDING SAILORS
STATIONED IN MAYPORT WERE
IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED ON VERY
DIFFERENT HEART BREAKING
MISSION.
LESS THAN A QUARTER OF A
SECOND LATER THE CREW CABIN WAS
NOTED TO BE SEVERED FROM THE
CARGO BAY.
THE INITIAL TAP OF THE CREW
CABIN FROM THE VAPOR CLOUD
CARRIED IT ACROSS THE PATH OF
ADJACENT CON TRAIL REVEALING
THE FORM AND ATTITUDE.
THE LEFT WING BECAME VISIBLE AT
78
78.531 SECONDS.
LARGE SCALE SEARCH EFFORT WAS
INITIATEED TO RECOVER THE SPACE
SHUTTLE DEBRIS.
I WAS CALLED TO THE BRIDGE
AND BY THE TIME I GOT TO THE
BRIDGE I COULD SEE THE CON
TRAILS OF THE LAUNCH AND
EXPLOSION.
I KNEW IMMEDIATELY.
DISASTER.
I DIDN'T CONNECT IT TO THE
CHALLENGER AT THE TIME BUT YES.
I KNEW IMMEDIATELY.
MY INSTINCT TOLD ME THAT THAT'S
NOT SOMETHING YOU SURVIVE FROM.
Reporter: COMMANDER HOWARD
HAD JUST TAKEN OVER THE NEW
NAVY WARSHIP THE USS SIMPSON
STATIONED IN MAYPORT.
OVER HALF OF THE SAILORS ON
BOARD HAD NEVER BEEN TO SEE
BEFORE AND THEIR AVERAGE AGE
WAS JUST 20 YEARS OLD.
I DO RECALL BEING IN THE
MESS LEAN AND I DO RECALL DANNY
RUNNING IN AND SAYING THE
CHALLENGER CRASHED.
I DO RECALL THAT.
STUNNED SILENCE.
PART OF IT WAS AND THIS IS HOW
I EQUATE IT THOSE ARE OUR SHIP
MATES.
JUST LIKE AS YOU SAID 9/11.
IT STRUCK HOME.
THOSE ARE OUR, THAT WAS THE
SHOCK OF IT.
THOSE WERE MILITARY PERSON EL
NOT JUST NOT JUST THE TEACHER
THOSE WERE OUR THE BROTHERS AND
SISTERS IN ARMS AND TIVRNL
EVERY ONE WHEN YOU LOSE THEM.
Reporter: NOT LONG AFTER
THAT WE GOT A MESSAGE ORDERING
US TO SEA TO GO OUT AND
COMMENCE RECOVERY OPERATION.
Reporter: THE SIMPSON JOINED
HUNDREDS ALSO OF OTHER NAVY
COAST GUARD VESSELS IN THE
RECOVERY MISSION.
AT LEAST 33 MILITARY PLANES AND
HELICOPTERS ALSO TOOK PART.
ALL ITEMS LARGE AND SMALL WERE
RETURNED TO THE CAPE TO AID IN
THE INVESTIGATION.
THE THE THE THE THE I GOT
YOU.
YOU GOT IT?
Reporter: SOME ITEMS
RECOVERED LIKE THOSE HERE
APPEARED TO BE SCIENCE
EXPERIMENT THAT WOULD HAVE
LIKELY BEEN USED BY CHRISTA WHO
WAS TO BE THE FIRST TEACHER IN
SPACE.
OTHER PERSONAL AFFECTS WERE
ALSO FOUND.
I REMEMBER THE LOOK OUT
ALERTED TO SOMETHING ON THE
HORIZON THAT WAS IN THE WATER
AND I NOTICED A LITTLE BOBBING
OBJECT IN THE DISTANCE AND WE
ALTERED COURSE AND WENT OVER TO
AND DISCOVERED THE PERSONAL
AFFECTS CASE, SMALL LIKE A
ZIPPER CASE THE SIZE OF A
COOLER AND IN IT WERE CHRISIE'S
PERSONAL EFFECTS.
NOTEBOOK AND CAMERA AND
SUBSTANTIAL SUPPLY OF SPARE
FILM.
Reporter: AFTER THE TRAGEDY
THE REMAINS OF THE ASTRONAUTS
WAS FOUND LYING 100 FEET DEEP
IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN.
3 OXYGEN TANK WERE FOUND
ACTIVATED IN THE CABIN.