I've seen 2 space shuttle launches. Took pics of one launch but it was too dark and I didn't really know how to use my new camera, pics didn't come out. Been to Cape Canaveral museum and visitors center. I was deploying with the National Guard when the space shuttle blew. We were headed to Ft. Bliss for training, and we actually saw glowing pieces of debris falling from it. Debris was landing all over Tx. The feds were telling local law enforcement to stop all buses, RVs, large commercial vehicles. Our chartered bus got stopped 2 times. At first they thought the shuttle was a terrorist act, possibly related to 911.

When I was a kid I watched everything space related. I bugged my parents daily to buy me those vanilla and chocolate flavored sticks endorsed by NASA, I wish I could remember what they were actually called. Anyone remember those? They said the astronauts ate them. I drank Tang and Ovaltine, which NASA also endorsed. I thought it would all make me into either a space explorer or at least a test pilot. But I ended up with poor eyesight and can't do math! I still read Popular Mechanics and Popular Science, everything I see regarding space exploration, astronomy, etc.