Our Father transferred to IBM Owego NY where he build Space Shuttle Flight Computers.

Dad helped build hardware for the Space Shuttle Flight Computers in every shuttle in NASA's fleet.

He helped build the Controls for Shuttle Enterprise.   We watched all of these test flights of Enterprise as kids. 

Space Shuttle Enterprise drop tests.

 

 

 

The family watched the maiden flight of Columbia STS-1 on TV and we were amazed at how fast it flew off the pad compared to Saturn V launches!

Maiden Flight of Space Shuttle Columbia Mission STS-1

We watched the maiden flight of Challenger from the same NASA Causeway we watched Skylab launch a decade earlier. 

 

 

The losses of Challenger and Columbia had profound effects on our lives. 

 

In the case of Challenger, after the tragedy, I declined being accepted into Space Sciences (aka Rocket Science School" at Florida Institute of Technology.  I had a deal with the Air Force to finish school then enlist as an officer to awork at the Air Force Space Shuttle Base "Slick 6" at the Vandenburg Air Force Base.