Culture on My Mind
Go at Throttle Up: Thirty Years
January 28, 2016

It’s been thirty years.

On January 28, 1986, I was a happy little five-year old watching the Space Shuttle Challenger launch into orbit. It was a special occasion because the first teacher was going into space, and it was inspiring. I don’t remember a whole lot from that day except cheering when the shuttle launched, being shocked when it disintegrated, and seeing my mother cry. That in itself was heartbreaking.

It was a confusing day, but it was that confusion that sparked my desire to study science because I wanted answers. That quest introduced me to Richard Feynman and made me realize that Morton-Thiokol and their rumbling rocket motor tests were essentially in my backyard.

That day also gave me dreams of being an astronaut. I never made it anywhere near being an astronaut, but I did get that physics degree.

Revisiting that day still hurts. To this day, I cannot hear the words “go at throttle up” without getting a lump in my throat.

Footage of the incident from CNN:

President Reagan’s address to the nation:

Godspeed, heroes of the Challenger. You’re still deeply missed.

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

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