Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster in 2003 breakup rare footage. We remember We miss you
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When the first of many loud alarms sounded on the space shuttle Columbia, the seven astronauts had about a minute to live, though they didn't know it. The pilot, William McCool, pushed several buttons trying to right the ship as it tumbled out of control. He didn't know it was futile. Most of the crew were following NASA procedures, spending more time preparing the shuttle than themselves for the return to Earth. Some weren't wearing their bulky protective gloves and still had their helmet visors open. Some weren't fully strapped in. One was barely seated. In seconds, the darkened module holding the crew lost pressure. The astronauts blacked out. If the loss of pressure didn't kill them immediately, they would be dead from violent gyrations that knocked them about the ship. In short, Columbia's astronauts were quickly doomed. A new NASA report released Tuesday details the chaotic final minutes of Columbia, which disintegrated over Texas on Feb. 1, 2003. The point of the 400-page analysis is to figure out how to make NASA's next spaceship more survivable. The report targeted problems with the spacesuits, restraints and helmets of the Columbia crew. Many of the details about the astronauts' deaths have been known _ they died either from lack of oxygen during pressure loss or from hitting something as the spacecraft tumbled and broke up. However, the new report paints a more detailed picture of the final moments of the Columbia crew than the broader investigation into the accident five years ago. Astronaut Pam Melroy, deputy study chief, said the analysis showed the astronauts were at their problem-solving best trying to recover Columbia, which was starting to crack up as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere with a hole in its left wing, damage that had occurred at liftoff. "There was no way for them to know that it was going to be impossible." The crew had lost control of the motion and direction of the spacecraft. It was pitching end-over-end, the cabin lights were out, and parts of the shuttle behind the crew compartment _ including its wings _ were falling off.
Comments
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There is video footage form the ISS showing that the Columbia Space Shuttle broke up before entering the atmosphere. News videos taken from the Space Shuttle Columbia that day also showed two bogies, (ICBMs) approaching. And I'm just a military brat with a very good memory.
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wtf is "rare" footage
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Why r they talking french ??
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I rember :(
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I wonder what ever happened to the photo taken by father and son from Cali (shuttle watching) while the shuttle passed over, clearly showing a lightning strike on the same wing that NASA said was damaged on takeoff? That photo was on the news networks a time or two but disappeared over night. I just looked and if you've never heard of this, you can find the image in a Goggle search.
Never did quite understand how a piece of foam could damage something strong enough to survive the pounding of re entry. -
Based on preparation time best estimate, they would have had to commence the rapid arrangements for a rescue mission in the first 30 hours or so. That should have been done in parallel and with full effort along with any other measures that were taken,but wasn't as far as I am aware.
After 40-60 hours delay, there was not enough time to prepare, with an estimated 27-28 days accelerated prep time, before the Co2 scrubbers ran out on Columbia. The transfer of crew alone would have taken at least 48 hours in orbit. -
Bad day to be an Apache gunner.
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Altitude low. Altitude low.
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They knew about the foam damage on the left wing. They ignored it.
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Does anyone else get goosebumps by how quiet this video is?
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This happened on my birthday . . .
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Next time NASA does an approach like this they should announce it in advance and maybe midnight would be better?
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I smile
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10th
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Why is there foreign language to go along with this video? Isn't that the voice of the target acquisition system telling the user that the "target is low"? Then we see the "targe" breaking up?? I saw a photo around the time this happened that it might have been hit been a directed energy beam of some kind. Photo was of a blue flame that enveloped the ship just before it broke up.
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Every time I watch this I have to click another video.
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That's a TADS sight... Target Acquisition and Designation Sights... Makes you wonder why the hell they were up there and had their sights trained on it at the time of the 'accident'
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Ground based view. Maybe similar display to helo sensor.
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Filmed with a very expensive potato.
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With Israel's first and last man in space in it...
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