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 Replies: 16 / Views: 2,621 |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
12437 Posts |
Most anyone over the age of 30 will probably remember this fateful day January 28, 1986. For me, this event is near the top of my singular historic memories. A science teacher at the high school in the town I grew up in was one of the 10 finalists for the Teacher in Space Project. Being a finalist had its privileges- NASA gave us quite a bit of attention. We participated in a live teleconference Q&A session with two NASA astronauts and an engineer. Along with the teleconference, NASA sent their touring Apollo exhibit to the school. It included some of the backup equipment for Apollo missions- helmets, gloves, tools- but best of all was a large case of Moon rocks and dust. Like many other schools, we had our eyes glued to the TV that morning and that image 73 seconds after launch is forever burned into my psyche. This morning, I was looking around for some of the original flight documentation when I came across the STS-51-L press kit released by NASA. The first item that caught my attention was the Spartan-Halley Mission to observe and analyze Halley's Comet. I took interest in this one because I am related to Sir Edmund Halley through paternal grandmother lineage(maiden name Halley). The second item of note was found on Page 29. Quote:
U.S. LIBERTY COINS
Two complete sets of the newly-minted U.S. Liberty coins will become the first legal tender American coinage to make a trip into orbit on mission 51-L.
The Liberty coins- a silver dollar, half dollar and $5 gold coin- are being minted by authorization from Congress to honor the Statue of Liberty's centennial anniversary in 1986 and to help raise funds for the restoration and future maintenance of the statue and Ellis Island. They are the first and only government issue coins to feature the Statue of Liberty.
School children in grades 4 through 8 will be given the chance to learn about coins and American history in a special education package- Commemorating Liberty Through Coins- which will be delivered to every public, private and parochial school in the nation in early March 1986.
The U.S. Liberty coins will be available at financial institutions and department stores across the country in April 1986. http://history.nasa.gov/sts51lpresskithighres.pdfIt is also worth noting that NASA wrongly stated that these would be the first legal tender US coins in orbit. It has been done at least once before and traveled much further than Near Earth Orbit. Buzz Aldrin carried a 1923-S Peace Dollar with him on the Apollo 11 mission which orbited the Earth a few times before heading to the Moon. This $30,000 coin would be the answer to the question "What is the most valuable circulated Peace dollar in existence?" You could win a few bets with that bit of trivia  More recently, 12 2000-W Sacagawea Dollars struck on 22kt gold planchets(1/2 oz Eagle planchets) were launched into orbit aboard another ill-fated shuttle Columbia STS-93 on July 23, 1999. Edited by biokemist6
01/28/2011 1:51 pm
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Moderator
 United States
188052 Posts |
Wow. Very interesting indeed.
I still recall exactly where I was. Junior year in high school, precalculus class.
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Valued Member
United States
364 Posts |
Grandmother's living room, aged 7 in my pajamas, watching an explosion I didn't fully understand.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1659 Posts |
I was in first grade and I remember it. I did not fully understand what had happened at the time, but I remember my teacher talking about it and watching it on TV.
May they rest in peace.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1000 Posts |
1st grade for me....Maybe one of the only things I can vividly remember from that time in my life... Pretty traumatic for 6 year old  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3592 Posts |
I remember that day well, I was on a snowmobile riding across a lake and the ice broke...two guys fished me out and hauled me to a truck,while I was sitting there trying to warm up,I heard the news on the radio.
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Rest in Peace
United States
1729 Posts |
Being well over 30 ... I remember the disaster well. I was walking to my office (I was personnel manager of a Montgomery Ward store in Los Angeles at the time) and stopped for a moment to see why so many people were gathered in brown goods in front of the TV's. It was hard for all of us to carry on after that, and I was particularly shocked that the life of a dedicated teacher was among those lost in the explosion.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2605 Posts |
I was in the (foreign) army. Didn't even know what was going on in my own country!
Remember Columbia though!
Edited by svslav
01/28/2011 3:25 pm
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Valued Member
United States
310 Posts |
I was in 1st grade. I remember being home that day though. Must have been sick or something. I was watching TV with my mom in my parents bedroom.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1450 Posts |
I remember that day VERY well!Ironically, earlier in the day my wife had a miscarriage and was on bed rest . Her cousin is a shuttle astronaut(luckily,not on the Challenger) so we were watching the launch with great interest. What a shock that explosion was!
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Moderator
United States
15408 Posts |
Great insights into the numismatic history biokemist6 ... I was a young engineer working in Houston when it happened.
David
Take a look at my other hobby ... http://www.jk-dk.art |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:It is also worth noting that NASA wrongly stated that these would be the first legal tender US coins in orbit. Nitpicking but they were correct. " first legal tender American coinage to make a trip into orbit on mission 51-L" No other coins had ever flown on mission 51-L before. I had just home from that days college classes, heard the announcement on the radio and spent the rest of the afternoon watching the TV. |
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
I was in the 10th grade when it happened
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Valued Member
United States
268 Posts |
I remember where I was on that day. I was a Senior in high school. I was in my 3rd period Chemistry class watching the launch on TV.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4989 Posts |
I was in high school had come home sick, turned on the TV, and saw the news caster - I think it was Peter Jennings - holding a scale model of the Space Shuttle. At that point, I knew something was terribly wrong.
Reagan gave a great speech that night.
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Valued Member
United States
171 Posts |
I was home from school due to snow. Our house also caught on fire that day.
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Replies: 16 / Views: 2,621 |
Posted 01/28/2011 12:47 pm
