[CaptainCrunch]

I was taking my grade 11 finals when the Columbia exploded.

I remember I was in the library studying (for all the good it did me), and the Librarian who was a space buff had the T.V. turned on with the volume turned really low.

I remember seeing the fireball and the solid rocket boosters spiraling away and great chunks flying out in all directions and thinking thats not normal.

the NASA controller kept doing his regular checklist for a couple of minutes as if nothing was wrong. Then there was the pause and the explosion announcement.

Its funny what sticks in your mind after all of these years. But I clearly remember the last words that we heard from the shuttle commander.

NASA - Go Throttle up!
Shuttle Commander - Challenger go at throttle up.

Seconds later it was over.

There are very few things that I remember that clearly

Regan's "Mr Gorbachev tear down this wall" I remember like it was yesterday

"The Flames have won the Stanley Cup" I still remember clearly

But the Columbia thing, that was haunting.