NASA Releases Report About Columbia Disaster

NASA Releases Report About Columbia Disaster

www.wesh.com

In the moments before the disaster, the seven crewmembers of Columbia were cheerful and casual about their upcoming fiery plunge into the atmosphere. Two did not have on their gloves, and one didn't have a helmet on and was not fully strapped in, according to the report. That crewmember had last-minute tasks to perform and may not have had a chance to get seated before the accident.
The hundreds of pages indicate that while the astronauts knew how to troubleshoot problems, they may not have known how to survive them.
At 23 seconds before 9 a.m. Eastern, with Mission Control looking on unsuspectingly, Columbia lost control and pitched up violently.
Twenty-five seconds later, the shuttle was being thrown side to side because it had lost a wing and could no longer fly.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.necn.com

Analysis of the motions at this time shows they were not enough to render the astronauts unconscious. However, the astronauts' upper bodies were being thrown about violently because their harnesses did not automatically lock into place.
The crew lasted another 20 seconds until the crew cabin tore open and the astronauts were exposed to decompression, a near vacuum. Their lungs and body cavities would have collapsed, blood vessels burst, and they would have lost consciousness instantly. But, until then, the report said the crew probably never realized the loss of control was unrecoverable. Flight controllers knew it, but only because the shuttle had disappeared from their screens.
All seven crew members -- Cmdr. Rick Husband, pilot William McCool, Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Laurel Clark, and Ilan Ramon -- died.

February 1, 2003 the Columbia tore up as it re-enter our atmosphere. Coming up on the six year anniversary of the tragic disaster NASA has finally put together a 400 page report detailing that unfortunate day.



After reading the accounts, I felt compelled to post and give my respect to these brave people.

AAC

www.wesh.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Originally posted by AnAbsoluteCreation

After reading the accounts, I felt compelled to post and give my respect to these brave people.

I would also like to pay my respect to the men and women who died in this tragic event.

And I hope that their families and loved ones have been well cared for after the terrible loss they suffered.

Sad indeed. I was watching it on the news when they said they had lost contact. Next thing I hear this large boom and the house shaking. Ran outside but couldn't see nothing but I knew it was the shuttle. Pretty much dropped all around my parts of the woods. Some parts fell at my uncle house and we went to take pics of it. A deputy sheriff friend of mine got arrested for trying to steal some small pieces he had come across. I understand the thing about souvenirs, but this was not the time. he got what he deserved.

reply to post by jam321


It's a small world indeed. That must have been shell-shocking.

Yeah, I wouldn't have tried to steal a piece, but I can't understand the urge. My high school friend stole a small stone which was part of one of the pyramids in Egypt (his dad was in military there).

But to read the play-by-play of the crash and their actions is intense.

AAC

Thanks for posting this.

It was a sad day for us all.

Here is a link to video moments before:

www.cnn.com...#/video/tech/2008/12/30/von.columbia.cockpit.gases.cnn?iref=mpvideosview


Very casual. Don't think they saw it coming.

regards......kk

edit : sorry can't get proper link to cnn.com video

[edit on 30-12-2008 by kinda kurious]



[edit on 30-12-2008 by kinda kurious]