@wendynather
I was working alone in the lab, through lunch, when H walked in and said, directly, "the Space Shuttle blew up."
He was an inveterate prankster, so I said something like "Get out".
It was true, though. I watched the comprehensive coverage on McNiel-Lerher that night, so I was delay-traumatized.
The repetitive clips of the explosion, camera cutting to the families reaction in the viewing stand is still too much.
Columbia hit me hard too.

@TidalFlats I was in the office, and we were all gathered around an EA’s desk, watching it. We were all stunned and dazed.