#TBT: The space shuttle Challenger disaster

Thirty-five years ago today, the world watched the space shuttle Challenger explode seconds after takeoff...

Transcript

00:00It was just the shadow was in one piece in the in the water.

00:18I really didn't think that they would be dead.

00:21They were just so helpless and it didn't seem fair.

00:24We weren't looking for something to go wrong.

00:26You know, we're just like oh that's supposed to happen.

00:30It was just a shadow.

00:49Here comes the flight crew now.

00:51Commander Dick Scobie followed by Mission Specialist

00:55Ron McNair, Pilot Mike Smith followed by

00:59Crystal McAuliffe, Teacher in Space

01:02Ellison Onizuka and Payload Specialist Greg Jarvis.

01:06Big smiles today.

01:24Oh, she's so nice.

01:41She's just a real caring, kind person.

01:44She just, she's like a, well, she's kind of like a big sister to me kind of.

01:49I just, she's just really special.

01:56And I want to say something to the school children of America

02:21who are watching the live coverage of the shuttle's takeoff.

02:25I know it's hard to understand we will never forget them

02:28nor the last time we saw them this morning

02:31as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye

02:35and slipped the surly bonds of Earth

02:38to touch the face of God.

03:24High quality people in a very visible, very dramatic way.

03:28It's bound to be kind of psychologically have a very broad impact.