Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

I have just heard on the news that the fuel tank insulation that was thought to have damaged the leading edge of the port wing has all but been ruled out as the cause of the accident.

The have looked at the footage and the piece of insulation similar to that on the fuel tanks and it could not have been this that caused the damage. The reason being that the insulation is little more than polystyrene foam. Much like something you would find toys packaged in.

This was reported by NASA and they are still looking for the cause.

Had I know the insulation was foam I would not have speculated that it was this that caused the damage. Still we do have the dent on the port wing the only problem now is if it wasnt the insulation that caused it what the hell did.

Regards Merlin

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

I knew about the Challenger crew-at least some of them survived for some seconds after the explosion, as some of their personal emergencey air thingies were found to be switched on, something that could only be done by the individual. There are also several versions of radio transcripts going around the net that purport to be their final screams, shouts and prayers, but they hold less weight for me. Remember, Challenger itself did not explode-the tank it was sitting on did. That shuttle vehicle itself was torn apart by high-Mach aero forces, leaving the crew compartment as one fairly intact lump-which can be seen falling away in extreme close-ups of the explosion if you know where to look. Oh yes, the Challenger crew most certainly did NOT go out with one quick bang…

Columbia? How simple do you want it? The heat shielding was damaged, the shuttle burnt and lost structure, the end.

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

They should re-design the shuttle with the crew compartment part of an escape pod similar to the F1-11. There’s only one thing holding back a re-design and that’s money. Who realises that the original Shuttle was a HOTL design and not a rocket. I think we should go back to this design. I’ve read that the US are spending 3trillion on the Iraq war! Couldn’t some of that money go to saving lives rather than taking them?

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 05-02-03 AT 02:46 AM (GMT)]Musn’t speculate as we dont want to give wrong information or so I have come to learn during times like this…….
BUT…….
C’mon folks it is obvious that the damage was done to the left wing around or including the left main gear door area by that errant insulation. During reentry over the pacific,California area fair sized pieces of wing structure tiles etc began to break off as seen on the recent amature video. Once it got closer to texas on the original released video before the large plume trail of exhaust starts, you can see a normal faint trail or plume then something large left outer wing panel??? sheds from the left wing and immediately there is a failure of that wing and consequently a fireball begins which ends up in the demise of the shuttle and crew.
Dont think nasa will tell all facts as this was not the case with the previous crash……
How many people realise to this day that the crew on board that shuttle(callenger) survived the explosion only to die as a result of hitting the ocean? also nasa denied a cover up stating that they were killed in the explosion. Nasa also delayed raising the crew compartment of the challenger for 6 weeks after the initial incident so that the media hype died down…

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

Hi Lancman,

I guessed it was Ebay but didnt know,Well done to them for acting so quickly.

I think we are just guessing here but I think the whole left wing theory happened just the way you said Lancman. Damage to the leading edge resulting in a build up of heat.

regards Merlin

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

The auction site was, not surprisingly, Ebay.

I wonder which bit of the wing was damaged then-the grey leading edges, like the little grey cap on the nose, are made of a different, even more heat resistant material to the tiles over the rest of the Orbiter, as they are the parts which get the hottest. I guess if that wing leading edge were damaged, the heat would kind of spread through and into the wing, thus raising your readings in the left main wheel bay etc.

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

Just heard on todays news that all the crews bodies have now been accounted for. I had posted before that about 2000 pieces of wreckage had been found but in todays news it was reported that over 1000 pieces have been collected. And I was rather disappointed to hear that some sicko had seen fit to offer pieces of columbia for auction on a website but when the website realised what was going on they shut down operation and no doubt forwarded details to the authorities.

Does anyone know which site this was. Well done to them for spotting the idiot who was doing this.

I know that a few patches were found and also two helmets have now featured on the news. Do they have to show these items on public TV. I feel that as these are such personal item ie items that would have been worn around the body of the families loved one, That just to be a little bit understanding in how the families might feel about seeing this on TV.

Fair enough that the wreckage has been show. Although this aswell could be said to be hard for the families it is of global interest for people to see. And this I think should be shown as global interest But personal items such as clothing patches helmets shouldnt be show as this would have been the last thing the families would have seen their families wearing. I just think it all just too much.

NASA has been releasing a statement saying that they are investigating the build up of heat on the body of the orbiter near the tyre area. The think this is where the damaged area was but I dont know if it is the same area hit by the tank insulation or not. Before break up the sensors registered this bulid up before the readings were lost.

Can anyone else add to the story I havent really heard any more news than I have already posted in this post and my others.

As I have said before my thoughts and feelings are with the families.

Regards Merlin

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

Well I know this is pretty morbid, but CNN online are reporting that so far a thigh bone, skull and ‘badly burned torso’ have been found, as well as the helmet/patches etc.

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

Further to my previous post it was said on the news this morning that the fault were are with the left wing (the one that was hit by the insulation) they started to lose reading from the tyre heat sensor, tyre pressure and other sensors several minutes before break up. It has been thought that this was due to damage on the wing. It has also been said that the problems encountered were almost certainly because of the massive amount off heat given off with rentry.

the single fireball that departs from the maim body is said to be the tail plane and the puffs of smoke are meant to be the whole thing rotating out of control. As you will be aware if the body of the aircraft is exposed say the fuselage or the upper surface of the wing it is only aluminium and will melt. Thats why the tiled surface is exposed to reentry heat and kept in the nose high attitude until the get into the earths atmosphere properly when they drop the nose and glide in. It seem that the shuttle started to rotate and this is why it broke up. there are several points at which you can see puffs of smoke from the trail and this is what is happening.

I know the have found about 2000 pieces of debris but I was surprised to hear and see that they had found a body. No information has been released but they took away a body bag with what I would call a sizeable piece of a body. I dont know specific details but did see this happen on the news. Also saw a mission patch and a helmet the right way up but just sitting it look blank nothing in there it was a spooky kind of an image no face to fill the void. I know there were several other bits found but you would think there would have been nothing left of the bodies because of the heat and disintegratinon and the extremes the body would have been facing. I only hope they had a quick death and were not suffering on the way down.

Merlin

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

I think the ‘explosion’ sounds could easily be either sonic booms, normal for the shuttle on re-entry, or simply the sounds of it breaking up at such high velocity. It seems fairly likely already about the wing damage, doesn’t it?

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

Perhaps the explosion sounds are the sonic boom the craft makes on re-entry.

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

Thanks for the very informative post Merlin. I am in total agreement with you that the space program (manned) should definitely go on. The ISS (International Space Station) is so vitally important to our exploration of the cosmos. I’m currently taking an Astronomy class and I find it all very fascinating.

Recently, we went to the observatory on top of the physics/astronomy building where I’m in college and we got a first-hand look at Saturn and Jupiter through a telescope. It was so beautiful seeing the rings of Saturn, and the great bands in the atmosphere of Jupiter. Seeing that makes me realize that what these people are doing and working towards is so very important. We must continue to strive to learn as much as possible.

May those who’ve died in the name of science over the years, rest in peace.

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

guys,

in regard to the piece that broke away from the configuration and struck the left wing.

A piece of auxillary fuel tank insulation (actually thought to be ice in the first immediate instance) detached from the tank during the rotation period and struck the port wing of the shuttle Columbia. They could not abort because they were well on their way and it was thought that it did no damage so the mission continued. ( I guess they can bring the shuttle back after take of and before entering orbit)

While the shuttle was in orbit some 80 experiments were carried out and no faults were reported so everything must have been all right then.On re-entry they did the stall move to bring them back into the earths atmoshere and they rotated and fired the rockets to fall back in. When they were re-entering they started reporting faults all on the left side. Some sensors were out and the tyre pressures were reading strange. This was the last transmission. As mission control asked them to repeat the last transmission they had heard the part about the tyre pressure but broke up on the last sentance. The crew member said roger and I think he started to say something about the tyre pressures but this was the point of the break in communication.

Next if you look at the footage of the debris. The one mass coming down is the Columbia coming down normally and if the speech and footage are put in real time.You see one big ball (columbia coming in looking ok) then a little fire ball comes off but they still have contact and you see the trail fanning out slightly then going back into a straight trail and then another and at the point where a big puff of smoke is and several trails leading off that is when all contact was lost. It was a break up in several small stages I dont know if the crew knew what was happening but it takes several seconds before it breaks up into small enough bit that the crew could be definately called perished.

It was said that the trajectory was right for a “Natural disintegration” This is what a Russian expert has said.NASA had said this too that it wasnt an explosion.

My thoughts and feelings go out to the crew members families and I hope these people didnt die for nothing and they find the fault and fix it so as the space program can continue. I feel that if all manned flight were to be stopped permanent then the people and those who died on Challenger will have died for nothing. After all how many test pilots are killed trying to improve the aircraft they are testing. This was their job its what they are good at and if anything can be learnt from their sacrifice then they didnt die in vain.

Please do not take this as solid information I have only put this together through watching all the footage and listening to some of the technical aspect that former crew have been saying.

Merlin

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

As I understand,they couldn’t abort the launch when the piece hit the wing because the shuttle was already launching from the gantry.Perhaps the accident does have something to do with that incident,but for now I think speculation is best left to the investigators.We mean well,but it just can’t be proved what happenned at such an early stage.
I would say that now is a time for thinking of those who’ve been lost and the families they leave behind.

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

Mike
i was not aware that on launch, they had a piece of fuel tank insulation come off and strike the left wing. if you see the video that starts before the main breakup showing a normal plume, there is a white panel that breaks off and immediately after there is a fireball and it begins to break up.
There is also mention of a large temperature deviation in the temp of the left wing on reentry and the last transmision was to tell the crew that they had received the messages regarding the tire pressure. Sounds to me like they should have aborted the launch as I am sure that there was significant damaga to the left wing.

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

Having seen it on the TV news now, it looks like it just broke up-certainly no ‘explosion’ or any such. Question is, why? Heat shield failure? Strutural failure? Sounds like it’s one or the other.

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

mike
i didnt hear that alothough I am upstairs. it looks to me like it was a very rapid breakup it must be awful for the families to have to watch it..

RE: Space Shuttle Columbia Lost over Texas

Just been following the news online on various news sites, sad stuff. Sounds for now like it just broke up during re-entry-maybe the crew this time won’t have known so much about it, unlike with Challenger when they were alive after the explosion…

I see some places are talking about a chunk of tank insulation that came off and hit the shuttle’s wing on take off, don’t know if this is relevant to the break up though?