How the Space Shuttle Columbia Tragedy Unfolded
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Date: 2022-12-29
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Comments and reviews: 20
Alex
The tone of this is a bit off - they didnt just say yeah they might die, lets not tell them
Its tragic that no one noticed the damage, this wasnt a mission with extended EVAs or other work outside the shuttle, and the foam concerns were NOT uncommon, hence the lack of immediate action.
I personally dont think they would have been lost had someone SEEN the giant hole in the RCC leading edge panel; the shuttles have immense redundancy and none of their systems were damaged or offline. They could have easily shut down fuel cells to conserve resources.
Im not sure what their exact inclination or orbit was, but its likely that they had enough fuel to maneuver into the ISSs orbit (eventually) although this is still contested.
Even without the docking adapter, the crew would have been able to transfer to the ISS and / or otherwise secure the shuttle for additional work. There were clearly enough resources aboard the ISS to sustain the additional crew, even if it wouldnt exactly be comfortable relatively speaking.
Remote landing was also something which apparently wasnt added till the return to flight mission, but basically everything about reentry and landing had always been automated, and with a plethora of real-time communications and telemetry. It seems ridiculous that there wouldnt have been a way to send the shuttle back unmanned. Im of course eluding to the possibility of a repair in orbit at the ISS, with hopes of saving a $2billion machine. The crew would hypothetically return via more conventional means; Soyuz and the next shuttle.
Basically, if nasa KNOWS for sure whats happening, they can achieve almost anything. The normalization of deviance practices which developed during the shuttle program (specifically regarding foam shedding) precluded such a miraculous rescue, but Im almost positive it would have been possible - obviously the only thing youll hear from nasa is that it wasnt, but Im equally sure theyve all been told to say so.
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The tone of this is a bit off - they didnt just say yeah they might die, lets not tell them
Its tragic that no one noticed the damage, this wasnt a mission with extended EVAs or other work outside the shuttle, and the foam concerns were NOT uncommon, hence the lack of immediate action.
I personally dont think they would have been lost had someone SEEN the giant hole in the RCC leading edge panel; the shuttles have immense redundancy and none of their systems were damaged or offline. They could have easily shut down fuel cells to conserve resources.
Im not sure what their exact inclination or orbit was, but its likely that they had enough fuel to maneuver into the ISSs orbit (eventually) although this is still contested.
Even without the docking adapter, the crew would have been able to transfer to the ISS and / or otherwise secure the shuttle for additional work. There were clearly enough resources aboard the ISS to sustain the additional crew, even if it wouldnt exactly be comfortable relatively speaking.
Remote landing was also something which apparently wasnt added till the return to flight mission, but basically everything about reentry and landing had always been automated, and with a plethora of real-time communications and telemetry. It seems ridiculous that there wouldnt have been a way to send the shuttle back unmanned. Im of course eluding to the possibility of a repair in orbit at the ISS, with hopes of saving a $2billion machine. The crew would hypothetically return via more conventional means; Soyuz and the next shuttle.
Basically, if nasa KNOWS for sure whats happening, they can achieve almost anything. The normalization of deviance practices which developed during the shuttle program (specifically regarding foam shedding) precluded such a miraculous rescue, but Im almost positive it would have been possible - obviously the only thing youll hear from nasa is that it wasnt, but Im equally sure theyve all been told to say so.
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Wayne
The sad part is that NASA knew about the issues that led to the loss of both shuttles and their crews before hand and still chose to ignore those issues on both occasions. There are some pretty damned brilliant minds on this earth and it's a shame that trying to figure out a way to repair the shuttle or at least rescue the crew was apparently not seriously looked into. At the very least if it was determined that there really was no viable option to do either the crew should have been told. I mean I'm glad to at least know that I have a terminal disease and am going to die and prefer this over just passing instantly from a heart attack or something like that. I've had time to say goodbye and spend extra time with my loved ones, make final preparations, and do many things that I wanted to do. I realize that those astronauts were obviously in a much different position than myself with basically being stuck in space but they still should have at least been given the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones if there was no hope of saving them.
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The sad part is that NASA knew about the issues that led to the loss of both shuttles and their crews before hand and still chose to ignore those issues on both occasions. There are some pretty damned brilliant minds on this earth and it's a shame that trying to figure out a way to repair the shuttle or at least rescue the crew was apparently not seriously looked into. At the very least if it was determined that there really was no viable option to do either the crew should have been told. I mean I'm glad to at least know that I have a terminal disease and am going to die and prefer this over just passing instantly from a heart attack or something like that. I've had time to say goodbye and spend extra time with my loved ones, make final preparations, and do many things that I wanted to do. I realize that those astronauts were obviously in a much different position than myself with basically being stuck in space but they still should have at least been given the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones if there was no hope of saving them.
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Professor
I was little in the 70s and 80s. We were totally into space everything. We watched the first Star Wars and played Star Wars with figures every day. I got the millennium falcon for Christmas. After the Challenger tragedy and the Columbia everybody lost respect for NASA completely and yesterday I saw track suits for sale at Target that say NASA and I wondered if the young people who want to wear them know how the crews got sacrificed in the name of productivity and flight missions. It seems very out of touch to run around with NASA on your clothes but the other track suits said Coca-cola so some how NASA is just a gimmick. We still have a NASA project in my county but I think it handles satellites. Their campus is off limits to hikers and way the hell up in the mountains. Back when I could climb I got to the top of a tall spire and saw a huge antenna sitting atop a much higher spire. I asked my friend what the heck is that out here in the middle of nowhere and she casually said oh, that's the NASA people.
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I was little in the 70s and 80s. We were totally into space everything. We watched the first Star Wars and played Star Wars with figures every day. I got the millennium falcon for Christmas. After the Challenger tragedy and the Columbia everybody lost respect for NASA completely and yesterday I saw track suits for sale at Target that say NASA and I wondered if the young people who want to wear them know how the crews got sacrificed in the name of productivity and flight missions. It seems very out of touch to run around with NASA on your clothes but the other track suits said Coca-cola so some how NASA is just a gimmick. We still have a NASA project in my county but I think it handles satellites. Their campus is off limits to hikers and way the hell up in the mountains. Back when I could climb I got to the top of a tall spire and saw a huge antenna sitting atop a much higher spire. I asked my friend what the heck is that out here in the middle of nowhere and she casually said oh, that's the NASA people.
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Tina
This is the first time I heard that it was known that the loss of these foam panels could potentially put the shuttle and crew in danger -- and yet they opted not to say anythng nor lift a finger to do anything to move them out of harm's way. Why couldn't they have had the crew dock the Columbia with the ISS, then bring the Columbia back to earth, unmanned, in a guided descent? At least, if it exploded then, nobody would have died. Then they could have sent another shuttle to rescue the Columbia crew. I guess that's asking too much when operating on a shoestring budget, and letting seven innocent human beings simply perish was the cheaper option. This is the typical American management style: bottom line is all that counts. The message here is: we are all expendable, no matter. At least, as a consequence, the whole shuttle program was shut down. Good riddance to the rotten, incompetent management whose bad decisions and poor judgment sent seven innocent people to their untimely deaths.
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This is the first time I heard that it was known that the loss of these foam panels could potentially put the shuttle and crew in danger -- and yet they opted not to say anythng nor lift a finger to do anything to move them out of harm's way. Why couldn't they have had the crew dock the Columbia with the ISS, then bring the Columbia back to earth, unmanned, in a guided descent? At least, if it exploded then, nobody would have died. Then they could have sent another shuttle to rescue the Columbia crew. I guess that's asking too much when operating on a shoestring budget, and letting seven innocent human beings simply perish was the cheaper option. This is the typical American management style: bottom line is all that counts. The message here is: we are all expendable, no matter. At least, as a consequence, the whole shuttle program was shut down. Good riddance to the rotten, incompetent management whose bad decisions and poor judgment sent seven innocent people to their untimely deaths.
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Cookefan59
The decision not to tell the astronauts what their situation was is one of the most horrible things Ive ever heard of. They might have had enough time to say goodbye to their families and the world. Assuming that they would have just suffocated is presumptive. Maybe they would have decided to make peace with whatever religion they believed in and then point it straight down to the ocean. Who knows, but to just be happy youre going home one minute and then be vaporized the next with more warning might appear to be merciful it spiritually it is deceptive and evil. That is not a good way to transition. No. They should have been told what was happening. That would have been the decent thing to do.
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The decision not to tell the astronauts what their situation was is one of the most horrible things Ive ever heard of. They might have had enough time to say goodbye to their families and the world. Assuming that they would have just suffocated is presumptive. Maybe they would have decided to make peace with whatever religion they believed in and then point it straight down to the ocean. Who knows, but to just be happy youre going home one minute and then be vaporized the next with more warning might appear to be merciful it spiritually it is deceptive and evil. That is not a good way to transition. No. They should have been told what was happening. That would have been the decent thing to do.
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Steffi
We found some of the debris from the Columbia in the pasture on our ranch in northeast Texas, including a few charred body parts. We contacted local law enforcement and they sent people out to collected it and search for more. But one creepy item I secretly kept as a memento: a burned, charred astronaut helmet with a skull inside, most of the flesh burned away. Also there was a badly burned woman's skeletal hand still wearing a wedding band. They got the hand, but I kept the ring. I'm going to pass it on to my grand kids. These are valuable historical relics and I have every right to keep them since it fell on my land. As I see it, finders, keepers. Just saying.
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We found some of the debris from the Columbia in the pasture on our ranch in northeast Texas, including a few charred body parts. We contacted local law enforcement and they sent people out to collected it and search for more. But one creepy item I secretly kept as a memento: a burned, charred astronaut helmet with a skull inside, most of the flesh burned away. Also there was a badly burned woman's skeletal hand still wearing a wedding band. They got the hand, but I kept the ring. I'm going to pass it on to my grand kids. These are valuable historical relics and I have every right to keep them since it fell on my land. As I see it, finders, keepers. Just saying.
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Rockin'
Not to disrespect your belief that this happen, however all of the so called Crew/Astronauts are alive today! We Have been misled and lied to by NASA and ALL NEWS agencies. And to top it off they are still using their names. They have no respect for you or I. Shame on NASA and ALL NEWS agencies! Our mind is a wonderful thing! Remember belief is the enemy of knowledge and Ego is the protector of belief Ego is a self-preservation tool. So don't just believe look it up and free your mind! There is a short video on YT The News-Benders made in 1968 that shows how N. E. W. S. is really made!
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Not to disrespect your belief that this happen, however all of the so called Crew/Astronauts are alive today! We Have been misled and lied to by NASA and ALL NEWS agencies. And to top it off they are still using their names. They have no respect for you or I. Shame on NASA and ALL NEWS agencies! Our mind is a wonderful thing! Remember belief is the enemy of knowledge and Ego is the protector of belief Ego is a self-preservation tool. So don't just believe look it up and free your mind! There is a short video on YT The News-Benders made in 1968 that shows how N. E. W. S. is really made!
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Buddy
It seems like so many of these tragedies could be avoided. Avoided, if life meant more than a good reputation. CEOs, like in the case of Boeing, care more about their image and money than human life. If someone knows that tragedy is high but they keep it hush hush; those involved should be charged with murder for each person killed. Not saying this couldnt have been prevented. Its disgusting that life could be saved but in many cases its worth the risk to a few rich people.
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It seems like so many of these tragedies could be avoided. Avoided, if life meant more than a good reputation. CEOs, like in the case of Boeing, care more about their image and money than human life. If someone knows that tragedy is high but they keep it hush hush; those involved should be charged with murder for each person killed. Not saying this couldnt have been prevented. Its disgusting that life could be saved but in many cases its worth the risk to a few rich people.
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Neat
This isn't true because I saw the hole in the newspaper photograph of the Orbiter. It was quite clear that they had 1/8 inch hole in the left-wing in board for the fuselage. I remember I even pointed it out to somebody else and said now there's a hole in the wing. What's more is that NASA could have launched a rescue had they started right when they realized that the wing had been breached. They chose not to do to mismanagement once again.
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This isn't true because I saw the hole in the newspaper photograph of the Orbiter. It was quite clear that they had 1/8 inch hole in the left-wing in board for the fuselage. I remember I even pointed it out to somebody else and said now there's a hole in the wing. What's more is that NASA could have launched a rescue had they started right when they realized that the wing had been breached. They chose not to do to mismanagement once again.
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joshua
I'm from a little town in East Texas, Nacogdoches to be exact. That shuttle went down over my town while we were all asleep. I remember hearing the loud booms in that woke me up. A day or 2 later our little town was taken over by reporters from across the country and the world. Shuttle debris being pulled from cow pastures and creeks, I was probably 12 at the time, it was unreal having something like that go down in your backyard.
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I'm from a little town in East Texas, Nacogdoches to be exact. That shuttle went down over my town while we were all asleep. I remember hearing the loud booms in that woke me up. A day or 2 later our little town was taken over by reporters from across the country and the world. Shuttle debris being pulled from cow pastures and creeks, I was probably 12 at the time, it was unreal having something like that go down in your backyard.
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Cody
I am an alumni of The University of Texas at Arlington where Kalpana Chawla went to school.
There is a permanent memorial in the Nedderman Hall Engineering building with one of her flight suits and informational panels on display and also one of the student residence halls on campus is named in her honor. Its a shame more students and locals dont know about such a distinguished alumni as KC. RIP
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I am an alumni of The University of Texas at Arlington where Kalpana Chawla went to school.
There is a permanent memorial in the Nedderman Hall Engineering building with one of her flight suits and informational panels on display and also one of the student residence halls on campus is named in her honor. Its a shame more students and locals dont know about such a distinguished alumni as KC. RIP
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texjlh
I lived in Lubbock TX at the time, when it passed over each of my family members heard some kind of a bang. For me it was like two car doors being slammed in my driveway at the same time, my mom heard a bird hitting her window at home, my dad thought a car had hit his building. Coincidentally Captain Husband grew up in Lubbock.
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I lived in Lubbock TX at the time, when it passed over each of my family members heard some kind of a bang. For me it was like two car doors being slammed in my driveway at the same time, my mom heard a bird hitting her window at home, my dad thought a car had hit his building. Coincidentally Captain Husband grew up in Lubbock.
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Ben
Here's my thought. When the damage was in question, Option 1-why not tell them then send them to the ISS until a rescue mission could be done? And/or option 2- After the crew went to the ISS, Send a team up and repair the wing? Or Option 3- dock at the ISS then go fix it? It would've been costly, but look at the cost.
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Here's my thought. When the damage was in question, Option 1-why not tell them then send them to the ISS until a rescue mission could be done? And/or option 2- After the crew went to the ISS, Send a team up and repair the wing? Or Option 3- dock at the ISS then go fix it? It would've been costly, but look at the cost.
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Lee
Question. Since the heat absorbing tiles were so critical for the launch and re-entry of the Space Shuttle, why wasn't it the FIRST job of the shuttle occupants, upon reaching orbit, to inspect the shuttle for damage which may have occurred during launch?
To me, this would have averted this tragedy.
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Question. Since the heat absorbing tiles were so critical for the launch and re-entry of the Space Shuttle, why wasn't it the FIRST job of the shuttle occupants, upon reaching orbit, to inspect the shuttle for damage which may have occurred during launch?
To me, this would have averted this tragedy.
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Justin
I got to thinking about what if they sent another shuttle to rescue the crew. Before I found this video. But as long as it takes to get one ready to send up I don't see that very likely. But if they knew on the ground what happened and I dont know realistically if anything could be done.
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I got to thinking about what if they sent another shuttle to rescue the crew. Before I found this video. But as long as it takes to get one ready to send up I don't see that very likely. But if they knew on the ground what happened and I dont know realistically if anything could be done.
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Mike
There should always have been contingencies for damaged heat panels.
Capitulating to a reality of THEIR OWN incompetence cannot be settled as honorable.
In so many ways NASA had demonstrated that they were not responsible enough to manage space missions.
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There should always have been contingencies for damaged heat panels.
Capitulating to a reality of THEIR OWN incompetence cannot be settled as honorable.
In so many ways NASA had demonstrated that they were not responsible enough to manage space missions.
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peacefulmaroon
Musk is part of the privatization and corporatization movement of low taxes small government which ultimately leads to budget cuts in the first place. Government ultimately responsive to public voters. Private co have no such regulatory authority.
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Musk is part of the privatization and corporatization movement of low taxes small government which ultimately leads to budget cuts in the first place. Government ultimately responsive to public voters. Private co have no such regulatory authority.
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Tom
Privatisation of space travel should be run from the Government. every kind of privatisation is excluding a lot of people and resources. Because of the capitalistic structure of privatisation that only will include those with a big, very big wallet.
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Privatisation of space travel should be run from the Government. every kind of privatisation is excluding a lot of people and resources. Because of the capitalistic structure of privatisation that only will include those with a big, very big wallet.
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scott
5: 00 omg. if the crew knew of the damage wing i am sure they could have come up with a solution to temp repair it, after all they are smart people right? wow NASA just gave up on them like they didnt even care. thank god im not an american
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5: 00 omg. if the crew knew of the damage wing i am sure they could have come up with a solution to temp repair it, after all they are smart people right? wow NASA just gave up on them like they didnt even care. thank god im not an american
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Joe
How about doing a piece on the Female Cosmonaut who begged for help from space. Which was a transmission picked up by Italian radio operators that heard a woman begging for help in what seemed like being in the process of a crash? Please
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How about doing a piece on the Female Cosmonaut who begged for help from space. Which was a transmission picked up by Italian radio operators that heard a woman begging for help in what seemed like being in the process of a crash? Please
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