[Jims5543]

I did not go out to watch the Discovery launch much to my dismay now.

I was working in a machine shop at the time in Melbourne at the time which is about 60 miles south of KSC.

I knew something was wrong the moment I heard the multiple bangs on the walls of the building. Normally its a low rumble even 60 miles away. When the Discovery blew up the walls and roof of the building popped heavily about 3 or 4 times.

I shut down my machine and ran for a door and almost ran into another employee who was as white as a ghost running in to tell us what he was seeing. When I looked intot he sky it was the sickest thing I had ever seen until I saw the 9/11 attacks on TV. I was litteraly sick to my stomach.

To live in an area directly affected by the space program puts a whole different spin on launches and catastrophies. It directly effects these people. Not only personally but financially and emotionally. They are all proud of what they do and take it very hard when things do not go right.