| Newsgroups: sci.space
Path: decwrl!ucbvax!UIAMVS.BITNET!ASTOHNPA
Subject: (none)
Posted: 12 Oct 88 22:42:42 GMT
Organization: The Internet
X-Unparsable-Date: Wednesday 12 Oct 88 2:10 PM CT
CHALLENGER'S CHALLENGE
---------------------- by Kim Unsong
Before millions of children, starry eyed,
And hundreds of millions of bewildered eyes of the world,
The brain child of American technology
The 25th Space ship, Challenger,
Is ready to soar into an emerald Florida sky
Evoking tumultuous zeal in hearts
Planting dreams of Cosmic exploration
Deep into the 21st Century....
On January 28, 1986
In the bright morning
The sky freshly awash with nippy air of 27 [degrees] F,
Seven astronauts all aboard,
Eight minute countdown begins;
8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0....
Detecting signs on the computer panels in milliseconds,
All data registering from 2000 sensors
Point systems functioning A-O.K.
Boosted by powerful rockets
Kicking off a cornucopia of flames & smokes
Around Pad 39-B.
The space shuttle complex blasts off
With 154 feet long rust colored fuel tank
Containing 143,351 gallons of liquid oxygen,
Two gleaming white solid rocket booster (SRB)
Each holding 1.1 million pounds of solid fuel
In their 149 feet long canisters
Reaching 4.3 miles high in the air,
Velocity to 1,538 miles per hour
In 35 seconds....
Challenger goes with throttle up
Proceeding normal after 52 seconds,
After 70 seconds,
An unusual flame flickers
At the lower end of right SRB,
After 73 seconds,
Challenger bursts into white & yellow fire smokes,
Tails streaming up and out from the fireball
Forming a twisted letter Y
Like a pair of demonic claws against the sky
Turning $ 1.2 billion space ship into rubble,
With debris showering down into the Atlantic Ocean
Dragging white ribbons through blue sky....
In a bang of enigmatic violence
Out of the Blue,
The legendary space ship with 7 astronauts
Sublimates into a fireball in heaven....
A thunderbolt in blue sky strikes the world
Shooting eyes in terror
Blocking minds in shock
Recoiling nerves in despair
Across the nation & over the world,
Mouths gasping in horror
Heads shaking in disbelief
Hearts sobbing in sorrow
Over the colossal loss
During the past quarter Century
Americans soared into space 55 times
All returning safely
Leading us to believe
Space ships technologically perfected
Symbolically immaculate
Philosophically ideal
Poetically chic
For an adventure
Realizing human dreams
In the farthest frontier of the Universe.
The explosion of Challenger is
A coup de grace in the heads of space scientists,
A momento mori to some elated astronauts,
A stern caveat against American complacency
Inflicting sharpest yet purest pain
In the loin of all Americans
Uncontaminated by trace of anger or hatred,
Uncomplicated by evidence of gimmickry
Political, racial, moral or religious
Manning the space ship with genuine humans
Dedicated for a common goal
Yet diverse in their ethnic origins & sexes
In sheer American way....
Farewell & rest in Heavenly peace !
Francis Scobee (1939-1986)
Michael Smith (1945-1986)
Gregory Jarvis (1944-1986)
Ronald McNair (1950-1986)
Ellison Onizuka (1945-1986)
Judith Resnik (1949-1986)
Christa McAuliffe (1948-1986)
We admire you forever
For the sacrifice of your life of vernal bloom
For your heroic challenge toward unknown Cosmos
For your dedication to unveiling the the truth
For your devotion to realizing human dreams
Up to your last space saga of 73 seconds
Gnawing questions still linger
Over our unrequited hearts & minds,
Under shadows of technological triumphs
Ominous ding gods hover about
Conspiring on human tragedy.
What a tragic destiny that finite mortals
Would challenge infinite immortals !
Seven astronauts are gone
Life goes on
Man's challenge continues
Challengers are destined to fly on...
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