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[i]Caroll's selection, then subsequent rejection, by NASA to join the Challenger crew in 1986. Instead of boarding the shuttle, he watched from the studio as the astronauts, including his replacement, Christa McAuliffe, perished in the disaster.[/i]
[i]I once got a letter from NASA, asking if I would be willing to join a mission to orbit the Earth as Big Bird, to encourage kids to get interested in space. There wasn't enough room for the puppet in the end, and I was replaced by a teacher. In 1986, we took a break from filming to watch takeoff, and we all saw the ship blow apart. The six astronauts and teacher all died, and we just stood there crying.[/i]
[i]I got a letter from the five astronauts who were on the ship when it blew up. I didn't realize the danger, and I thought that naturally there would be some risk, because look at what they are doing. They have to get up to 70,000 miles an hour. I thought, "Well, how many people get that opportunity?" So I said yes, but I guess it's a fortunate thing they found out there's no room to put Big Bird on the plane and that's what kept me from going. I never met the teacher who went in my place. We saw tape on the day it blew up, and we saw it go flying apart, and your scalp crawled across your head, like, "Oh my God! What have we just seen?" And I was supposed to be there, and those poor people aboard that ship. It was an incredible emotional experience. Just not being on it, I'm able to talk about it. So I think it's sad but true.[/i]
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