Columbia STS107

[antimatterXXXIII]

There had been discussion of the launch foam event for weeks - warnings were given and ignored. Cain should have instantly known that the faulty sensor data meant big trouble on the left side and adjusted the orientation to save the people and sacrifice the vehicle - and prepared for bailout. Instead we hear him covering his eyes and ears, even as the orbiter is disintegrating a hundred miles or so away. He's the epitome of "failure is not only an option, it's inevitable". Pisses me off!

[mach25man]

I agree with you about L. Ham but I'm not sure Cain could help any in adjusting the orientation. At that point during entry I think human interference would have made it even worse. The computers are much better at it. And as you probably know, bailout is not an option anywhere near that point.

[antimatterXXXIII]

No, but the idea is just to keep the vehicle in one piece through peak heating and then get it into a reasonably stable config at say 120,000 feet and get out. The ACES suits would have protected them long enough even at that altitude to get down. The OMS engines could have been used to brake dramatically after peak heating and before thick air to allow bail out at high altitude. It was worth a shot. Cain knew about the launch event - he nixed a spec-out from the Air Force in fact.

[mach25man]

I'm having trouble understanding your theories. How would the OMS engines slow you down ? And also, jumping out is better than staying in the orbiter but does the suit let you do that at that altitude ? Your still doing serious mach numbers at 120000. I dont agree with you on some stable configuration. Only a computer can do that as it does now. A human cant react that fast or think that fast during entry

[antimatterXXXIII]

Bailout is entirely possible and planned for below 100,000 feet - this capability was added after the Challenger accident. The Orbiter would have to be fairly stable and going no faster than Mach 3 in thin air. An SR-71 pilot survived such a bailout in the mid-60s. Because the Orbiter was aerodynamically compromised, one would need to use RCS jets to help stabilize it - usually they are turned off after peak heating. OMS burn to depletion for braking.

-drl

[mach25man]

Bailout is planned for 25000ft. And they have to be going a lot slower than Mach3.

Their jumping out side ways with a delta wing. Totally diff. than ejecting. If they jumped side ways at that speed they would hit the wing. RCS jets are used all the way down and turned off right above Mach 1. OMS engines are used initially to de-orbit from 17500mph. They burn for 3min or so. After that they are deactivated.

[cutterschoicenotmine]

ok so when did your application go into nasa for a management role?

[2Glaser2]

I mourn all who has died in the crash, please help their families

[ricochet188]

So was this happening while they were filming with the cam-corder in the cockpit? Or was the or was that recorded before they started losing bits of the shuttle?

[mach25man]

Recorded before things started to go wrong. Filmed on a Sony Minicam and recorded on Dv tape. Tape was found on ground during debris search.

[noslashnognr]

Today is the 6th anniversary. Every astronaut that ever was or will be is a true hero. Every astronaut knows the risks and presses on with more determination than ever. There are even more backup crews and astronaut candidates that are happy to risk their lives in honor of their country and planet in the name of science and knowledge. Still thousands more would drop everything for the opportunity. We must encourage future heroes and never forget these ones who have fallen. Thank you STS 107.

[antimatterXXXIII]

This sort of emotional blanket homily makes me want to throw up. They are people, no better than you and me, in some ways much worse (hypercompetitive and narcissistic). The mission management team, particularly Linda Ham and Leroy Cain, killed these people with incompetence. I love space travel as much as anyone but the Shuttle never had a defined mission. It was space for the sake of going into space. Some good has come from it - Hubble, the ISS - but mostly its a mutual ass-kissing society.

[AZspaceGUY]

Great video mix. Nice touch using the Flight Director audio loop. Thanks for posting. Godspeed, Columbia

[wuozebi]

what's the voice recordings in it? nasa, or what?!

[glenncokeoh]

yeah, thats the NASA mission control room, what you're hearing is the intercom between the Flight Director and all the systems analysts on the ground that monitor screens for different parts of the spacecraft e.g. you hear one guy mention the loss of hydraulic sensors and another person then mentioning loss of hull or tire pressure (im not sure) on the left and main landing gear, they let the FD know if theres anything wrong in their section and also speak to the space craft when it comes out of

[KayvanFarsi]

how fucking low can you be to put spam on this? fucking inhuman all of those people who put any of that shit on stuff like this. Urgh their so boring putting it even though they must know nobody will read or even look at it.

[glenncokeoh]

the plasma and heat that has surrounded it during re-entry which was mentioned as UHF or Ultra High Frequency radios like a modern airliner uses.

[R6a6Y]

there is no pain in a deceleration like that....MACH 25.1 in re-entry...

[animesis]

i cant imagine the horror they must have felt, watching the craft disintegrate around them, May they rest in peace

[C3H2P8]

I remember watching the shuttle come in...never had really sat down and watched it. I remember saying was it suppose to do that, when it broke up....I was amazed at all the lights coming off it. Never ever thought it was the shuttle coming apart. May they all rest in peace.

[ricochet188]

That would have given me shivers.

[ancestron]

lock the doors.

[whizkidforte]

I was about to watch the Gasparilla parade on WFLA at that time, but it was replaced by rolling news coverage. May God grant eternal rest unto Columbia's crew and may they rest in peace. :(

[seanpersi]

good blees them all

[b6gm6n]

All heros

[Trendkillertrendy]

Never seen such a haunting representation of this disaister. Quite an experience to watch this. RIP STS107

[NASAmr]

Gas'sof atmosphere get into broken wing .. Then it goes to wheels and gas tanks.. That causes explose ='|

[rob10125]

What actually happened was once the shuttle satrted to go through the atmosphere at 16,600 MPH, the heat enters the hole in the shuttle's left wing and started to melt the inner structure that held it together and when you watch the video you see debris coming off the shutle that it's the wing falling apart.

[menominon]

but when did they lose contact with the crew onboard?

[MulletManSam]

What I can't understand is why the problems start at the rear of the craft wing when the damage is in the front of the craft's wing. Particularly that all the rest of the temperatures in the wing were nominal until the tire pressure sensors failed..

[RetsofNoraa]

Think of it as a glass window. The sun shines on the outside. The light goes directly through the window, and (unless the glass itself is warped) goes directly through to the other side. That's also how it happened with the shuttle.

[MulletManSam]

oh, ok, thanks.