Monday, January 28, 1986. Although it was more than 37 years ago, I remember the day clearly. We were still living in the Chicago area then, and I was five months into my new career as a stay-at-home mom.

It was the day after our beloved Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl, and I was still in a festive mood, with the television tuned to all the celebrations going on in Chicago.

It was an historic day for another reason, too, although not the way it was intended to be. This was the day for the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger, whose crew included teacher Christa McAuliffe, the first American civilian to serve as an astronaut on the mission.

The news switched from the Super Bowl celebration to the launch. I was mesmerized, holding my breath and mentally counting down along with Mission Control. Shortly after lift-off, it was obvious that something was wrong, and I was horrified, along with everyone else watching, as the shuttle exploded barely a minute into the flight. McAuliffe and the six other astronauts on board lost their lives.

All of this came back to me this past week, as we followed news of the Titan, the OceanGate submersible that imploded on its way down to explore the Titanic at the bottom of the North Atlantic, killing the five people aboard.

There are both similarities and differences between the two disasters, but one thing that struck me is the irony – although that may not be exactly the right word – of one of them happening on the way into outer space, and the other while traveling through the depths of the ocean. They went in opposite directions, and into the two greatest unknowns we have yet to explore and understand.

I’m thinking now of explorers of the past who ventured off into then-uncharted territory. Christopher Columbus. Ferdinand Magellan, Marco Polo, Jacques Cousteau, Lewis and Clark. And that list doesn’t even begin to name all the people who sailed off into the sunset – or climbed the mountain, or drove the wagon train, or led the expedition – to find, map, or learn about places unknown. Or that no one yet even knew existed. Many were successful in their quest. But many more were not, and countless numbers died trying.

As with the explosion of the Challenger, the Titan’s implosion has generated many questions – and some answers – about events and equipment that may have caused or contributed to the disaster, and what would have, could have, or should have been done differently to prevent it.

We’ll certainly learn more in the days and weeks to come. Hopefully, the challenges and changes ahead will make life and travel safer for future explorers. And for us all.

June 26, 2023
©Betty Liedtke, 2023

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