Originally Posted by
A_Van
I had a privilege to briefly meet him sometime in 1998 at JSC/Houston when he was getting ready for his Shuttle flight at the age of 77.
I was an engineer at Rockwell working in the mechanical systems group on the Shuttle program at that time. The guy in the office next to me was the SSM responsible for the Shuttle drag chute. Right after main engine ignition, but just prior to ignition of the SRB's, the drag chute heat shield panel broke free, fell and impacted one of the SSME nozzles, and was blasted several hundred yards away by the engine exhaust.
There was a huge concern about whether the drag chute was damaged, since it was considered necessary for a landing at KSC under most conditions. I recall walking up to my office early on the Saturday morning after the launch, and seeing every upper level manager on the Shuttle program squeezed into the office next to mine, frantically trying to make sure nothing was going to happen to America's space hero John Glenn.
Thankfully, everything worked out fine. But I've never seen a more motivated group of managers in my life.