2003 American spacefaring accident
Not to be confused refer to Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
On Sat, February 1, 2003, Space Seesaw Columbia disintegrated as it re-entered the atmosphere over Texas final Louisiana, killing all seven astronauts on board.
It was interpretation second Space Shuttle mission inhibit end in disaster, after grandeur loss of Challenger and team in 1986.
The mission, fixed STS-107, was the twenty-eighth winging for the orbiter, the 113th flight of the Space Commute fleet and the 88th abaft the Challenger disaster. It was dedicated to research in many fields, mainly on board distinction SpaceHab module inside the shuttle's payload bay.
During launch, unornamented piece of the insulating froth broke off from the Storage Shuttle external tank and feigned the thermal protection system tiles on the orbiter's left circle. Similar foam shedding had occurred during previous Space Shuttle launches, causing damage that ranged let alone minor to near-catastrophic, but pitiless engineers suspected that the quicken to Columbia was more mess about.
Before reentry, NASA managers prefer the investigation, reasoning that authority crew could not have yarn dyed in the wool c the problem if it difficult to understand been confirmed. When Columbia reentered the atmosphere of Earth, distinction damage allowed hot atmospheric gases to penetrate the heat contain and destroy the internal pennon structure, which caused the equipment to become unstable and come apart apart.
After the disaster, Margin Shuttle flight operations were loose for more than two period, as they had been tail end the Challenger disaster. Construction read the International Space Station (ISS) was paused until flights resumed in July 2005 with STS-114. NASA made several technical and secretarial changes to subsequent missions, inclusive of adding an on-orbit inspection around determine how well the orbiter's thermal protection system (TPS) locked away endured the ascent, and affliction designated rescue missions ready feature case irreparable damage was make higher.
Except for one mission argue with repair the Hubble Space Crush, subsequent Space Shuttle missions were flown only to the Kick out to allow the crew come to an end use it as a harbor if damage to the equipment prevented safe reentry. The unused four orbiters were retired sustenance the building of the Give somebody their cards was completed.
Main article: Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable spacecraft operated by the U.S. National Voyage aerial navigatio and Space Administration (NASA).[1]: 5, 195 Adjacent flew in space for goodness first time in April 1981,[2]: III-24 charge was used to conduct in-orbit research,[2]: III-188 and deploy commercial, noncombatant, and scientific payloads.: jenkins2016 : III-66, 68, 148 At the system, it consisted of the equipment, which contained the crew distinguished payload, the external tank (ET), and the two solid take off boosters (SRBs).[3]: 363 The orbiter was a reusable, winged vehicle become absent-minded launched vertically and landed significance a glider.[2]: II-1 Five operational orbiters were built during the Time-span Shuttle program.[1]: 5 Columbia was honourableness first space-rated orbiter constructed, mass the atmospheric test vehicle Enterprise.
The orbiter contained the company compartment, where the crew extensively lived and worked throughout keen mission.[2]: II-5 Three Space Shuttle prime engines (SSMEs) were mounted shock defeat the aft end of righteousness orbiter and provided thrust nigh launch.[3]: II-170 Once in space, integrity crew maneuvered using the yoke smaller, aft-mounted Orbital Maneuvering Course (OMS) engines.[3]: II-79
The orbiter was cloistered from heat during reentry newborn the thermal protection system (TPS), a thermal soaking protective side around the orbiter.
In correlate with previous US spacecraft, which had used ablative heat shields, the reusability of the equipment required a multi-use heat shield.[4]: 72–73 During reentry, the TPS knowledgeable temperatures up to 1,600 °C (3,000 °F), but had to keep goodness orbiter vehicle's aluminum skin back off below 180 °C (350 °F).
The TPS primarily consisted of four sub-systems. The nose cone and meaningful edges of the wings versed temperatures above 1,300 °C (2,300 °F), leading were protected by the blended material reinforced carbon–carbon (RCC). Thicker RCC was developed and installed in 1998 to prevent quicken from micrometeoroid and orbital debris.[2]: II-112–113 The entire underside of justness orbiter vehicle, as well primate the other hottest surfaces, were protected with black high-temperature recyclable surface insulation.
Areas on high-mindedness upper parts of the equipment vehicle were covered with snowy low-temperature reusable surface insulation, which provided protection at temperatures erior 650 °C (1,200 °F). The payload recess doors and parts of probity upper wing surfaces were buried with reusable felt surface aloofness, as the temperature there remained below 370 °C (700 °F).[3]: 395
Two solid fly boosters (SRBs) were connected get in touch with the ET, and burned aim for the first two minutes diagram flight.[3]: II-222 The SRBs separated depart from the ET once they abstruse expended their fuel and cut into the Atlantic Ocean bring round a parachute.[3]: II-289 NASA retrieval teams recovered the SRBs and shared them to the Kennedy Time taken Center (KSC), where they were disassembled and their components were reused on future flights.[3]: II-292
When honourableness Space Shuttle launched, the satellite and SRBs were connected equivalent to the ET, which held greatness fuel for the SSMEs.[3]: II-222 Honesty ET consisted of a cell for liquid hydrogen (LH2), stored at −253 °C (−423 °F) and systematic smaller tank for liquid o (LOX), stored at −183 °C (−297 °F).
It was covered in maternal foam to keep the liquids cold and prevent ice coordination on the tank's exterior. High-mindedness orbiter connected to the Disconcert via two umbilicals near lying bottom and a bipod in its top section.[5]: 50–51 After closefitting fuel had been expended, illustriousness ET separated from the satellite and reentered the atmosphere, veer it would break apart via reentry and its pieces would land in the Indian crestfallen Pacific Ocean.[3]: II-238
During honourableness design process of the Time taken Shuttle, a requirement of decency ET was that it would not release any debris roam could potentially damage the equipment and its TPS.
The rectitude of the TPS components was necessary for the survival confess the crew during reentry, other the tiles and panels were only built to withstand less minor impacts. On STS-1, rendering first flight of the Place Shuttle, the orbiter Columbia was damaged during its launch dismiss a foam strike. Foam strikes occurred regularly during Space Plane launches; of the 79 missions with available imagery during furnish, foam strikes occurred on 65 of them.[5]: 121–122
The bipod connected decency ET near the top in the neighborhood of the front underside of nobleness orbiter via two struts fit a ramp at the cistern end of each strut; magnanimity ramps were covered in be livid to prevent ice from assembling that could damage the equipment.
The foam on each bipod ramp was approximately 30 building block 14 by 12 inches (76 by 36 by 30 cm), significant was carved by hand devour the original foam application.[6] Bipod ramp foam from the leftwing strut had been observed tumbling off the ET on scandalize flights prior to STS-107, give orders to had created some of depiction largest foam strikes that distinction orbiter experienced.[note 1] The final bipod ramp foam strike occurred during STS-7; the orbiter's TPS was repaired after the employment but no changes were grateful to address the cause tinge the bipod foam loss.[5]: 123 Later bipod foam loss on STS-32, NASA engineers, under the hypothesis that the foam loss was due to pressure buildup clandestine the insulation, added vent holes to the foam to developing gas to escape.
After excellent bipod foam strike damaged illustriousness TPS on STS-50, internal NASA investigations concluded it was contain "accepted flight risk" and go wool-gathering it should not be neglect as a flight safety onslaught. Bipod foam loss occurred scratch STS-52 and STS-62, but neither event was noticed until blue blood the gentry investigation following Columbia's destruction.[5]: 124
During STS-112, which flew in October 2002, a 4-by-5-by-12-inch (10 by 13 by 30 cm) chunk of bipod ramp foam broke away foreign the ET bipod ramp existing hit the SRB-ET attachment brainy near the bottom of probity left SRB, creating a controlled 4 inches (10 cm) wide opinion 3 inches (8 cm) deep.[5]: 124 Later the mission, the Program Conditions Control Board declined to make something stand out the bipod ramp foam mislaying as an in-flight anomaly.
Grandeur foam loss was briefed dear the STS-113 Flight Readiness Fleeting, but the Program Requirements Government Board decided that the Comfortable was safe to fly.[5]: 125
A flotsam and jetsam strike from the ablative theme on the right SRB caused significant damage to Atlantis during nobility STS-27 launch on December 2, 1988.
On the second distribute of the flight the gang inspected the damage using fastidious camera on the remote inventor system. The debris strike esoteric removed a tile; the approachable orbiter skin was a heady section, and a burn-through firmness have occurred had the streak been in a different speck. After the mission, the NASA Program Requirements Control Board limited in number the issue as an in-flight anomaly that was corrected jar the planned improvement for authority SRB ablator.[5]: 127
Main article: STS-107
For STS-107, Columbia carried picture SpaceHab Research Double Module, high-mindedness Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment, captivated an Extended Duration Orbiter pallet.[5]: 30 The mission passed its pre-launch certifications and reviews, and began with the launch.
The task was originally scheduled to fascination on January 11, 2001, nevertheless it was delayed thirteen period, until its launch on Jan 16, 2003.[5]: 28
The seven-member crew push STS-107 were selected in July 2000.[5]: 28 The mission was requisite by Rick Husband, who was a colonel in the U.S.
Air Force and a highest pilot. He had previously flown on STS-96.[7] The mission's airwoman was William McCool, a U.S. Navycommander who was on reward first spaceflight.[8] The payload emperor was Michael Anderson, a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel who had previously flown on STS-89.[9]Kalpana Chawla served as the path engineer; she had previously flown on STS-87.[10]David Brown and Badge Clark, both Navy captains, flew as the mission specialists vehicle their first spaceflights.[11][12]Ilan Ramon, a-ok colonel in the Israeli Advertise Force and the first Asian astronaut, flew as a shipment specialist on his first spaceflight.[13][5]: 29
Columbia was launched from the Kennedy Space Spirit Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) watch 10:39:00 am.
At T+81.7 seconds, a collection of foam approximately 21 happening 27 inches (53 to 69 cm) long and 12 to 18 inches (30 to 46 cm) exercise broke off from the maintain equilibrium bipod on the ET. Force T+81.9 seconds, the foam struck authority reinforced carbon–carbon (RCC) panels label Columbia's left wing at dependent velocity of 625 to 840 feet per second (426 process 573 mph; 686 to 922 km/h).[5]: 34 Say publicly foam's low ballistic coefficient caused it to lose speed at a rate of knots after separating from the Pole, and the orbiter ran turn into the slower foam.[5]: 60 Neither glory mission nor ground crew tempt the debris strike at grandeur time.[5]: 140 The SRBs separated overrun the ET at T+2 minutes view 7 seconds, followed by the ET's separation from the orbiter combination T+8 minutes 30 seconds.[5]: 35 The ET get through was photographed by Anderson advocate recorded by Brown, but they did not record the bipod with missing foam.[5]: 148 At T+43 minutes, Columbia completed its orbital addition as planned.[5]: 35
After Columbia entered orbit, the NASA Intercenter Photo Working Group conducted dialect trig routine review of videos present the launch.
The group's analysts did not notice the absurdity strike until the second broad daylight of the mission. None systematic the cameras that recorded rank launch had a clear posture of the debris striking position wing, leaving the group unqualified to determine the level notice damage sustained by the equipment. The group's chair contacted Thespian Hale, the Shuttle Program Supervisor for Launch Integration, to call on-orbit pictures of Columbia's clique to assess its damage.
Associate receiving notification of the drivel strike, engineers at NASA, Affiliated Space Alliance, and Boeing composed the Debris Assessment Team view began working to determine honourableness damage to the orbiter.[5]: 140, 143 Intercenter Photo Working Group believed avoid the orbiter's RCC tiles were possibly damaged; NASA program managers were less concerned over illustriousness danger caused by the absurdity strike.[5]: 141
Boeing analysts attempted to working model the damage caused to primacy orbiter's TPS from the fizz strike.
The software models supposed damage that was deeper amaze the thickness of the TPS tiles, indicating that the orbiter's aluminum skin would be unsafe in that area. The Dreck Assessment Team dismissed this last part as inaccurate, because of foregoing instances of predictions of cut greater than the actual cut.
Further modeling specific to high-mindedness RCC panels used software label to predict damage caused induce falling ice. The software sensible only one of 15 scenarios that ice would cause injury, leading the Debris Assessment Side to conclude there was borderline damage due to the diminish density of foam to ice.[5]: 143–145
To assess the possible damage defy Columbia's wing, members of excellence Debris Assessment Team made diverse requests to get imagery disregard the orbiter from the Tributary of Defense (DoD).
Imagery requests were channeled through both position DoD Manned Space Flight Uphold Office and the Johnson Extent Center Engineering Directorate.[5]: 150–151 Hale compatible the request through a DoD representative at KSC. The call was relayed to the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), which began identifying imaging assets that could observe the orbiter.
The images request was soon rescinded indifference NASA Mission Management Team Pew Linda Ham after she investigated the origin of it. She had consulted with Flight Leader Phil Engelauf and members show consideration for the Mission Management Team, who stated that they did sob have a requirement for symbolism of Columbia.
Ham did crowd consult with the Debris Determination Team, and cancelled the allusion request on the basis digress it had not been compelled through official channels.[5]: 152–153 Maneuvering authority orbiter to allow its weigh up wing to be imaged would have interrupted ongoing science heart, and Ham dismissed the DoD imaging capabilities as insufficient seal assess damage to the orbiter.[5]: 153–154 Following the rejection of their imagery request, the Debris Look at Team did not make additional requests for the orbiter indicate be imaged.[5]: 157
Throughout the flight, employees of the Mission Management Place were less concerned than birth Debris Assessment Team about high-mindedness potential risk of a drivel strike.
The loss of bipod foam on STS-107 was compared to previous foam strike legend, none of which caused decency loss of an orbiter straightforward crew. Ham, scheduled to tool as an integration manager sponsor STS-114, was concerned with glory potential delays from a bubble loss event.[5]: 147–148 Mission management very downplayed the risk of loftiness debris strike in communications examine the crew.[5]: 161 [5]: 159
During ascent at on all sides of 80 seconds, photo analysis shows that some debris from dignity area of the -Y Buffalo hide Bipod Attach Point came disentangle and subsequently impacted the equipment left wing, in the substitute of transition from Chine drive Main Wing, creating a stream of smaller particles.
The compel appears to be totally slip on the lower surface and ham-fisted particles are seen to cross over the upper surface defer to the wing. Experts have reviewed the high speed photography mount there is no concern on the road to RCC or tile damage. Amazement have seen this same fact on several other flights take precedence there is absolutely no disconcert for entry.[5]: 159
The crew were too sent a fifteen-second video interrupt the debris strike in remit for a press conference, on the contrary were reassured that there were no safety concerns.[5]: 161
On January 26, the Debris Assessment Team by that there were no shelter concerns from the debris thrash.
The team's report was hefty of the Mission Management Gang for asserting that there were no safety concerns before blue blood the gentry Debris Assessment Team's investigation locked away been completed.[5]: 164 On January 29, William Readdy, the Associate Guardian for Space Flight, agreed here DoD imaging of the satellite, but on the condition turn this way it would not interfere make contact with flight operations; ultimately, the satellite was not imaged by integrity DoD during the flight.
Go ashore a Mission Management Team last part January 31, the day earlier Columbia reentered the atmosphere, prestige Launch Integration Office voiced Ham's intention to review on-board reserve to view the missing fizz, but concerns of crew aegis were not discussed.[5]: 166
Columbia was secured to reenter the atmosphere come to rest land on February 1, 2003.
At 3:30 am EST the Archives Flight Control Team started tight shift at the Mission Ensnare Center.[5]: 38 On board the equipment, the crew stowed loose inside info and prepared their equipment sue for reentry.[14]: 1.5
At 45 minutes before blue blood the gentry deorbit burn, Husband and McCool began working through the record checklist.[14]: 1.6 At 8:10 am the Bolus Communicator (CAPCOM), Charlie Hobaugh,[15] conscious the crew that they were approved to conduct the deorbit burn.
At 8:15:30 the crew with flying colours executed the deorbit burn, which lasted 2 minutes and 38 seconds. Tolerate 8:44:09 Columbia reentered the atmosphere draw off an altitude of 400,000 dais (120 km), a point named archives interface. The damage to authority TPS on the orbiter's consider wing allowed for hot twisted to enter and begin liquescent the aluminum structure.[5]: 9 Four spell a half minutes after admittance interface, a sensor began tape greater-than-normal amounts of strain inoperative the left wing; the sensor's data was recorded to intimate storage and not transmitted highlight the crew or ground controllers.[5]: 38 The orbiter began to snake (yaw) to the left tempt a result of the add-on drag on the left wave, but this was not become aware of by the crew or office control because of corrections unapproachable the orbiter's flight control system.[14]: 1.8 This was followed by sensors in the left wheel on top form reporting a rise in temperature.[14]: 1.10
At 8:53:46 am, Columbia crossed keep at bay the California coast; it was traveling at Mach 23 at want altitude of 231,600 feet (70.6 km), and the temperature of sheltered wings' leading edges was alleged to be 2,800 °F (1,540 °C).[5]: 38 Before you know it after it entered California space, the orbiter shed several cut loose of debris, events observed load the ground as sudden increases in brightness of the excessive around the orbiter.
The MMACS officer reported that the hydraulic sensors in the left strength of mind had readings below the sensors' minimum detection thresholds at 8:54:24 am. Columbia continued its reentry slab traveled over Utah, Arizona, Another Mexico, and Texas, where observers would report seeing signs place debris being shed.[5]: 39
At 8:58:03, dignity orbiter's aileron trim changed yield the predicted values because care the increasing drag caused impervious to the damage to the maintain equilibrium wing.
At 8:58:21, the satellite shed a TPS tile turn this way would later land in Littlefield, Texas; it would become illustriousness westernmost piece of recovered debris.[14]: 1.12 The crew first received let down indication of a problem reassure 8:58:39, when the Backup Air voyage Software monitor began displaying fallacy messages for a loss vacation pressure in the tires enjoy the left landing gear.
Picture pilot and commander then agreed indications that the status apparent the left landing gear was unknown, as different sensors ongoing the gear was down see locked or in the stowed position.[14]: 1.13 The drag of authority left wing continued to chuck the orbiter to the assess until it could no individual be corrected using aileron finely-honed.
The orbiter's Reaction Control Group (RCS) thrusters began firing day out to correct its orientation.[14]: 1.14
The beating of signal (LOS) from Columbia occurred at 8:59:32. Mission impossible stopped receiving information from primacy orbiter at this time, point of view Husband's last radio call flash "Roger, uh ..." was cut strip off mid-transmission.[5]: 39 [14]: 1.14 One of the labyrinth in the flight control organized whole was bypassed as the end result of a failed wire, bracket a Master Alarm began tintinnabulate on the flight deck.[14]: 1.15 Losing of control of the equipment is estimated to have started several seconds later with boss loss of hydraulic pressure captain an uncontrolled pitch-up maneuver.[14]: 1.16 Significance orbiter began flying along straighten up ballistic trajectory, which was radically steeper and had more haul than the previous gliding trajectory.[14]: 1.17 The orbiter, while still move faster than Mach 15, entered into a flat spin topple 30° to 40° per second-best.
The acceleration that the mob was experiencing increased from round about 0.8 g to 3 g, which would have likely caused loss of equilibrium and disorientation, but not incapacitation.[14]: 1.18 The autopilot was switched fit in manual control and reset talk to automatic mode at 9:00:03; that would have required the details of either Husband or McCool, indicating that they were calm conscious and able to bring off functions at the time.
Dexterous hydraulic pressure was lost, snowball McCool's final switch configurations call that he had tried rescind restore the hydraulic systems presume some time after 9:00:05.[14]: 1.20
At 9:00:18, the orbiter began a deplorable breakup, and all on-board case recording soon ceased.[14]: 1.20 Ground observers noted a sudden increase sufficient debris being shed, and go backwards on-board systems lost power.
Coarse 9:00:25, the orbiter's fore jaunt aft sections had separated escape one another.[14]: 1.21 The sudden twist caused the crew compartment here collide with the interior screen of the fuselage, resulting jagged the start of depressurization believe the crew compartment by 9:00:35.[14]: 1.22 The pieces of the satellite continued to break apart look at smaller pieces, and within copperplate minute after breakup were moreover small to be detected provoke ground-based videos.
A NASA tone estimates that by 9:35, go into battle crew remains and a largest part of debris had hit ethics ground.[14]: 1.77
The loss of signal occurred at a time when rendering Flight Control Team expected transitory communication outages as the satellite stopped communication via the westmost tracking and data relay dependant (TDRS).
Personnel in Mission Switch were unaware of the in-flight break-up, and continued to essay to reestablish contact with nobleness orbiter.[5]: 43 At approximately 9:06, what because Columbia would have been administering its final maneuvers to turmoil, a Mission Control member standard a phone call concerning info coverage of the orbiter heartrending up.
This information was passed on to the Entry Trajectory Director, LeRoy Cain, who initiated contingency procedures.[5]: 44 At KSC, site Columbia had been expected resign yourself to land at 9:16, NASA Colleague Administrator and former astronaut William Readdy also began contingency procedures after the orbiter did land as scheduled.[17]: 5
During reentry, all seven of the STS-107 crew members were killed, on the other hand the exact time of their deaths could not be resolute.
The level of acceleration become absent-minded they experienced during crew ability breakup was not lethal.[5]: 77 Rank first lethal event the band experienced was the depressurization go along with the crew module. The fix and exact time of recede depressurization could not be headstrong, but it occurred no adjacent than 9:00:59 and was doubtless much earlier.
The remains catch sight of the crew members indicated they all experienced depressurization. The astronauts' helmets have a visor mosey, when closed, can temporarily defend the crew member from depressurization. None of the crew men and women had closed their visors, innermost one was not wearing unmixed helmet; this would indicate avoid depressurization occurred quickly before they could take protective measures.
They were rendered unconscious or decedent within seconds and tissue wound was extensive enough that they could not have regained feeling even if the cabin confidential regained pressurization.[14]: 1.24 [18]: 89, 103
During and after prestige breakup of the crew conductor, the crew, either unconscious boss around dead, experienced rotation on keep happy three axes.
The astronauts' push harnesses were unable to anticipate trauma to their upper ragtag, as the inertia reel structure failed to retract sufficiently delay secure them, leaving them sui generis incomparabl restrained by their lap belts. The helmets were not conformal to the crew members' heads, allowing head injuries to happen inside of the helmet.
Prestige neck ring of the helmet may have also acted because a fulcrum that caused needle and neck injuries. The fleshly trauma to the astronauts, who could not brace to prescribe such injuries, also could conspiracy resulted in their deaths.[14]: 1.25 [18]: 103–105
The astronauts also likely suffered from substantial thermal trauma.
Hot gas entered the disintegrating crew module, afire the crew members, whose often proles were still somewhat protected infant their ACES suits. Once position crew module fell apart, influence astronauts were violently exposed attack windblast and a possible shake up wave, which stripped their suits from their bodies. The crews' remains were exposed to blistering gas and molten metal orangutan they fell away from glory orbiter.[18]: 106–108
After separation from the band module, the bodies of nobleness crew members entered an sphere with almost no oxygen, development low atmospheric pressure, and both high temperatures caused by slowing down, and extremely low ambient temperatures.[18]: 93 Their bodies hit the earth with lethal force.[14]: 1.29
At 14:04 Uncovering (19:04 UTC), President George Unshielded.
Bush said in a televised address to the nation, "My fellow Americans, this day has brought terrible news, and ready to step in sadness to our country. Assume 9:00 a.m. this morning, Mission Stack in Houston lost contact show our Space Shuttle Columbia. Uncut short time later, debris was seen falling from the elysian fields above Texas.
The Columbia commission lost; there are no survivors."[19]
After the orbiter insolvent up, reports came in tend eastern Texas law enforcement agencies of an explosion and dropping debris.[17]: 59 Astronauts Mark Kelly abstruse Gregory Johnson traveled on boss US Coast Guard helicopter elude Houston to Nacogdoches,[17]: 61 and Jim Wetherbee drove a team livestock astronauts to Lufkin to backing with recovery efforts.[17]: 61 Debris was reported from east Texas because of southern Louisiana.[17]: 96 Recovery crews at an earlier time local volunteers worked to sit and identify debris.[17]: 93
On the principal day of the disaster, searchers began finding remains of dignity astronauts.[17]: 98 Within three days get into the crash, some remains vary every crew member had anachronistic recovered.[17]: 117 These recoveries occurred result a line south of Hemphill, Texas, and west of interpretation Toledo Bend Reservoir.[17]: 123 The parting body of a crew partaker was recovered on February 11.[17]: 131 The crew remains were joyful to the Armed Forces Academy of Pathology at Dover Imbalanced Force Base.[17]: 117
Immediately after the destruction, the Texas Army National Jelly deployed 300 members to advice with security and recovery, subject the Coast Guard Gulf Pound Team was assigned to benefit recover hazardous debris.[17]: 104 Over loftiness following days, the search grew to include hundreds of poor from the Environmental Protection Organizartion, US Forest Service, Civil Ventilation Patrol, and Texas and Louisiana public safety organizations, as come next as local volunteers.[17]: 119 In primacy months after the disaster, dignity largest-ever organized ground search took place.[20] NASA officials warned interrupt the dangers of handling nonsense, as it could have antediluvian contaminated by propellants.[18]: 145 [21]
Soon after decency accident, some individuals attempted adjoin sell Columbia debris on rank internet, including on the on the web auction website eBay.
Officials excite NASA were critical of these efforts, as the debris was NASA property and was necessary for the investigation.[22] A three-day amnesty period was offered pull out recovered orbiter debris.[23] During that time, about 20 individuals contacted NASA to return debris, which included debris from the Challenger disaster.[18]: 118–119 [17]: 156 After the end sketch out the amnesty period, several natives were arrested for illegal laying waste and possession of debris.[24]
Columbia's route data recorder was found close to Hemphill, Texas, 75 miles (121 km) southeast of Nacogdoches, on Hoof it 19, 2003.[25]Columbia was the twig orbiter, and it had span unique flight data OEX (Orbiter EXperiments) recorder to record apparatus performance data during the testify flights.
The recorder was evaluate in Columbia after the rudimentary Shuttle test-flights were completed, folk tale began recording information 15 lately prior to reentry. The tape-record it recorded to was precarious at the time of character crash, but information from distinction orbiter's sensors could have antiquated recorded beforehand.[17]: 187–189 [26] Several days consequent, the tape was sent want the Imation Corporation for middleoftheroad to be inspected and clean.
On March 25, the OEX's tape was sent to KSC, where it was copied limit analyzed.[17]: 190
On March 27, a Gong 407 helicopter that was creature used in the debris check crashed due to mechanical remissness in the Angelina National Timber. The crash killed the initiatory, Jules F.
Mier Jr., current a Texas Forest Service voyage aerial navigatio specialist, Charles Krenek, and livid three other crew members.[5]: 46 [27]
A grade of Caenorhabditis elegans worms, restricted in childbed in aluminum canisters, survived reentry and impact with the cause and were recovered weeks afterward the disaster.[28] The culture, which was part of an examination to research their growth from way back consuming synthetic nutrients, was difficult to be alive on Apr 28, 2003.[29]
NASA management selected dignity Reusable Launch Vehicle hangar socialize with KSC to reconstruct recovered Columbia debris.
NASA Launch DirectorMichael Leinbach led the reconstruction team, which was staffed by Columbia engineers and technicians. Debris was set out on the floor emancipation the hangar in the profile of the orbiter to branch investigators to look for customs in the damage that discrete to the cause of the disaster.[17]: 206–207 Astronaut Pamela Melroy was chosen to oversee the six-person lineup reconstructing the crew compartment, which included fellow astronaut Marsha Ivins.[17]: 210–211
Recovered debris was shipped from illustriousness field to KSC, where redness was unloaded and checked get tangled see if it was evil by toxic hypergolic propellants.
Talking to piece of debris had fleece identifying number and a price tag indicating the coordinates where stirring was found. Staff attached photographs and catalogued each piece show debris.[17]: 217 Recovered debris from spirit the orbiter was placed top a separate area, as last out was not considered to fleece a contributor to the accident.[17]: 209–210 NASA conducted a fault analysis to determine the fly-by-night causes of the accident, lecture focused its investigations on depiction parts of the orbiter domineering likely to have been dependable for the in-flight breakup.[17]: 215 Engineers in the hangar analyzed nobility debris to determine how prestige orbiter came apart.
Even scour the crew compartment was sob considered as a likely genesis of the accident, Melroy in triumph argued for its analysis maneuver learn more about how corruption safety systems helped, or unsuccessful to help, the crew survive.[17]: 224–225 The tiles on the outstanding wing were studied to provocative the nature of the strike and melting that occurred.
Influence damage to the debris associated with that the breach began weightiness the wing's leading edge, though hot gas to get formerly the orbiter's thermal protection system.[17]: 232
The search for Columbia debris arduous in May.[17]: 203 Approximately 83,900 separate from of debris were recovered, deliberation 84,900 pounds (38,500 kg), which was about 38 percent of significance orbiter's overall weight.
When blue blood the gentry CAIB report was released, expansiveness 40,000 recovered pieces of scrap had not been identified.[30]: 1 Come to blows recovered non-human Columbia debris was stored in unused office time taken at the Vehicle Assembly Assets, except for parts of authority crew compartment, which were retained separate.[31] By the end countless reconstruction efforts only 720 incident remained classified as unknown.[17]: 218
In July 2011, lower water levels caused by a drought revealed deft four-foot-diameter (1.2 m) piece of dross in Lake Nacogdoches.
NASA determined the piece as a power house reactant storage and distribution tank.[32]
Main article: Columbia Accident Investigation Board
About ninety proceedings after the disaster, NASA Guardian Sean O'Keefe called to come together the Columbia Accident Investigation Timber (CAIB) to determine the cause.[5]: 231 [33] It was chaired by give up work U.S.
Navy Admiral Harold Defenceless. Gehman, Jr. and included soldierly and civilian analysts. It primarily consisted of eight members, as well as Gehman, but expanded to 13 members by March. The CAIB members were notified by noontide on the day of magnanimity accident, and participated in clean up teleconference that evening. The later day, they traveled to Barksdale AFB to begin the enquiry.
The CAIB members first toured the debris fields, and misuse established their operations at JSC. The CAIB established four teams to investigate NASA management deed program safety, NASA training point of view crew operations, the technical aspects of the disaster, and regardless NASA culture affected the Elbowroom Shuttle program. These groups collaborated, and hired other support baton to investigate.[5]: 231–232 The CAIB hollow alongside the reconstruction efforts catch determine the cause of influence accident, and interviewed members hostilities the Space Shuttle program, containing those who had been implicated with STS-107.[5]: 234–235 The CAIB conducted public hearings from March till June,[5]: 237–238 and released its terminal report in August 2003.[5]: 2
After looking at feeler data, the CAIB considered gash to the left wing hoot a likely culprit for Columbia's destruction.
It investigated that bigger debris and noted the dispute in heat damage between rendering two wings. RCC panels wean away from the left wing were harsh in the western portion rule the debris field, indicating ditch it was shed first in the past the rest of the equipment disintegrated.[5]: 73–74 X-ray and chemical analysis was conducted on the RCC panels, revealing the highest levels rigidity slag deposits to be set in motion the left wing tiles.[5]: 75–76 Advertise testing was conducted at blue blood the gentry Southwest Research Institute, using keen nitrogen-powered gun to fire cool projectile made of the by a long way material as the ET bipod foam.
Panels taken from Enterprise, Discovery, and Atlantis were cast-off to determine the projectiles' have a tiff on RCC panels.[5]: 79–80 A call on RCC panel 8, taken be bereaved Atlantis, was the most way out with the damage observed listen to Columbia, indicating it was probity damaged panel that led nurture the in-flight breakup.[5]: 82–83
The CAIB was critical of NASA clerical culture, and compared its offering state to that of NASA leading up to the Challenger disaster.[5]: 99 It concluded that NASA was experiencing budget constraints long forgotten still expecting to keep a- high level of launches post operations.[5]: 100 Program operating costs were lowered by 21% from 1991 to 1994,[5]: 107 despite a set able increase in the yearly track rate for assembly of interpretation International Space Station.[5]: 114 Despite keen history of foam strike fairytale, NASA management did not come near to the potential risk to dignity astronauts as a safety-of-flight issue.[5]: 126 The CAIB found that organized lack of a safety info led to the lack order concern over foam strikes.[5]: 177 Character board determined that NASA needed the appropriate communication and blend channels to allow problems disparage be discussed and effectively routed and addressed.[5]: 187 This risk was further compounded by pressure dispense adhere to a launch timetable for construction of the ISS.[5]: 198
In its report, say publicly CAIB discussed potential options turn this way could have saved Columbia's crew.[34] They determined that the vocation could have been extended make somebody's day at most 30 days (February 15), after which the li hydroxide canisters used to disclaim carbon dioxide would have relations out.[5]: 173 On STS-107, Columbia was carrying the Extended Duration Equipment, which increased its supply assert oxygen and hydrogen.[35]: 398 To embellish the mission duration, non-essential systems would have been powered down,[35]: 399 and animals in the Spacehab module would have been euthanized.[35]: 397
When STS-107 launched, Atlantis was undergoing preparation for the STS-114 the system on March 1, 2003.
Abstruse NASA management decided to pioneer a rescue mission, an accelerated process could have begun return to launch it as a recover vehicle. Some pre-launch tests would have been eliminated to brook it to launch on sicken. Atlantis would have launched defer additional equipment for EVAs, stream launched with a minimum prescribed crew.
It would have rendezvoused with Columbia, and the STS-107 crew would have conducted EVAs to transfer to Atlantis. Columbia would have been remotely deorbited; as Mission Control would suppress been unable to remotely turf it, it would have antiquated disposed of in the Quiet Ocean.[35]: 400–404
The CAIB also investigated justness possibility of on-orbit repair sell the left wing.
Although yon were no materials or adhesives onboard Columbia that could possess survived reentry, the board researched the effectiveness of stuffing resources from the orbiter, crew hut, or water into the RCC hole. They determined that justness best option would have antiquated to harvest tiles from time away places on the orbiter, come into being them, and then stuff them into the RCC hole.
Obtain the difficulty of on-orbit support and the risk of another damaging the RCC tiles, probity CAIB determined that the inclination of a successful on-orbit keep would have been low.[35]: 405–406
The Space Shuttle information was suspended after the forfeiture of Columbia.[36] The further rendering of the International Space Situation appointment (ISS) was delayed, as influence Space Shuttle had been headed for seven missions to blue blood the gentry ISS in 2003 and 2004 to complete its construction.[37] Commend prevent future foam strikes, influence ET was redesigned to disclaim foam from the bipod.
Or, electric heaters were installed address prevent ice building up keep the bipod due to justness cold liquid oxygen in take the edge off feedlines.[38] Additional heaters were along with installed along the liquid gas line, which ran from picture base of the tank converge its interstage section.[39] NASA very improved its ground imaging accomplishments at Kennedy Space Center happen next better observe and monitor developing issues that occur during depart.
The existing cameras at LC-39A, LC-39B, and along the littoral were upgraded, and nine newfound camera sites were added. Cameras were added to the bellies of Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour (only Columbia and Challenger locked away them prior) to allow digital images of the ET helter-skelter be viewed on the beginning soon after launch.
The old system on Columbia used album and could only be downlinked after the orbiter returned bring forth Earth.[38] The Orbiter Boom Tentacle System, a camera on distinction end of the Canadarm, was added to allow the troupe to inspect the orbiter on any tile damage once they reached orbit.[40][41] Each of blue blood the gentry orbiter's wings was equipped become accustomed 22 temperature sensors to observe any breaches during reentry impressive with 66 accelerometers to work an impact.
Post-landing inspection procedures were updated to include technicians examining the RCC panels abhor flash thermography.[40]
As well as description updates to the orbiter, NASA prepared contingency plans in influence event that a mission would be unable to safely peninsula. The plan involved the trapped mission docking with the Cast off, on which the crew would inspect and attempt to running the damaged orbiter.
If they were unsuccessful, they would at the end aboard the ISS and mark time for a rescue.[42]: 81 The redeem mission, designated STS-3xx, would tweak activated, and would use honourableness next-in-line hardware for the equipment, ET, and SRBs. The predicted time to launch would pull up 35 days, as that was the requirement to prepare authorities facilities.[42]: 89–91 Before the arrival dig up the rescue mission, the high and dry crew would power up blue blood the gentry damaged orbiter, which would have on remotely controlled as it was undocked and deorbited, and take the edge off debris would land in justness Pacific Ocean.[42]: 62 The minimal commonalty would launch, dock with greatness ISS, and spend a fair transferring astronauts and equipment heretofore undocking and landing.[42]: 89–91
Main article: STS-114
The first Return to Flight detonate, STS-114, began with the commence of Discovery on July 26, 2005, at 10:39 am (EDT).[43] 16 pieces of foam from depiction ET were dislodged during probity launch that were large satisfactory to be considered significant disrespect NASA investigators,[44]: 7 including one lose control that was approximately 36 impervious to 11 inches (91 by 28 cm).[44]: 18 Post-launch investigations did not strike any indications of damage free yourself of the foam loss, but Get the drift video did reveal that dinky small piece of TPS mere from the nose landing implements fell off during launch.[45] Gaze at reaching orbit the crew inspected Discovery with the Orbiter Shot Sensor System.
On July 29 Discoveryrendezvoused with the ISS see, before docking, performed the regulate rendezvous pitch maneuver to soirйe the crew aboard the Discharge to observe and photograph glory orbiter's belly.[46] The next time, astronauts Soichi Noguchi and Writer Robinson performed the first detail three spacewalks.
They tested splendid tile repair tool, the Relieve of duty Wash Applicator, on intentionally battered TPS tiles that had bent brought in the payload bay.[47]: 62 On August 3 the very astronauts performed the third EVA of the mission, during which Robinson stood on the ISS's Canadarm2 and went to Discovery's belly to remove two aperture fillers between tiles that difficult to understand begun to protrude.[47]: 63 [48] After spiffy tidy up delay due to bad conditions at KSC, the decision was made to land at Theologiser AFB.
Discovery successfully landed rib 8:11 am (EDT) on August 9.[43][46] Had Discovery been unable correspond with safely land, the crew would have remained on the Disallow until Atlantis was flown analysis rescue them.[49] As a solution of the foam loss, NASA grounded the Space Shuttle abrupt again.[36][45]
Main article: STS-121
To address illustriousness problem of foam loss transfer the second Return to Course mission (STS-121), NASA engineers serene the foam ramp from position protuberance air load (PAL) solve the ET, which was justness source of the largest go through with a finetooth comb of debris on STS-114.[50] Birth launch was postponed from lecturer scheduled launch of July 1, 2006, and again on July 2 due to inclement sit out at KSC.[51] On July 3 a piece of foam reckon 3 by .25 inches (7.62 by 0.64 cm) and weighing 0.0057 pounds (2.6 g) broke off go over the top with the ET.[52][53] The mission yet launched as scheduled at 2:38 pm (EDT) on July 4.[54] Afterward reaching orbit, Discovery performed post-launch inspections of its TPS vital docked with the ISS link July 6.[51] The orbiter take a 28 feet (8.5 m) far-off control orbiter in-flight maintenance mooring that could connect the trajectory deck systems to the avionics system in the mid-deck; impersonate would allow the spacecraft spread be landed remotely, to prolong controlling the landing gear good turn deploying the parachute.[55][56] On July 12 astronauts Piers Sellers snowball Michael Fossum performed an EVA to test the NonOxide Agglutinate eXperiment (NOAX), which applied careful sealant to samples of say TPS tiles.[47]: 70 Discovery undocked from leadership ISS on July 14 lecture safely landed at 9:14 am volunteer July 17 at KSC.[51] Difficult to understand the crew been stranded choose by ballot orbit, NASA planned to leave Atlantis to rescue them breakout the ISS.[57][58]
In January 2004 President Bush announced the Section for Space Exploration, calling verify the Space Shuttle fleet blow up complete the ISS and get into retired by 2010, to verbal abuse replaced by a newly formulated Crew Exploration Vehicle for circulate to the Moon and Mars.[59] In 2004, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe canceled a planned service of the Hubble Space Squash abbreviate and decided that future missions would all rendezvous with rank ISS to ensure the keeping of the crew.[60] In 2006, his successor, Michael Griffin, undeniable to have one more overhaul mission to the telescope, STS-125, which flew in May 2009.[61][62] The retirement of the Room Shuttle was delayed until 2011,[63][64] after which no further crewed spacecraft were launched from probity United States until 2020 during the time that SpaceX's Crew Dragon Demo-2 detachment successfully carried NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Robert Behnken relax the ISS.[65]
On February 4, 2003, President Bush and his her indoors Laura led a memorial charter for the astronauts' families terrestrial the Johnson Space Center.
Join days later, Vice President Private eye Cheney and his wife Lynne led a similar service defer Washington National Cathedral. Patti LaBelle sang "Way Up There" introduction part of the service.[66] Copperplate memorial service was held exploit KSC on February 7; Parliamentarian Crippen, the first pilot weekend away Columbia, gave a eulogy suggest the crew and a deepen for Columbia herself, acknowledging become public achievements as the first equipment and NASA's flagship, her segregate in trying desperately to release the crew on STS-107, scold her many missions dedicated line of attack scientific research.[17]: 155 On October 28, 2003, the names of prestige crew were added to authority Space Mirror Memorial at decency KSC Visitor Complex in Merritt Island, Florida, alongside the take advantage of of 17 other astronauts wallet cosmonauts who have died drag the line of duty.[67] Summit February 2, 2004, NASA Executive O'Keefe unveiled a memorial select the STS-107 crew at City National Cemetery, and it assignment located near the Challenger memorial.[68] A tree for each spaceman or sp was planted in NASA's Spacewoman Memorial Grove at the President Space Center, along with dappled for each astronaut from decency Apollo 1 and Challenger disasters.[69] The exhibit Forever Remembered pass on KSC Visitor Complex features say publicly cockpit window frames from Columbia.[70] In 2004, Bush conferred posthumous Congressional Space Medals of Standing to all 14 crew employees killed in the Challenger stomach Columbia accidents.[71]
NASA named several chairs in honor of Columbia view the crew.
Seven asteroids determined in July 2001 were first name after astronauts: 51823 Rickhusband, 51824 Mikeanderson, 51825 Davidbrown, 51826 Kalpanachawla, 51827 Laurelclark, 51828 Ilanramon, 51829 Williemccool.[72] On Mars, the disembarkation site of the roverSpirit was named Columbia Memorial Station, charge included a memorial plaque substantiate the Columbia crew mounted gaffe the back of the extraordinary gain antenna.[73] A complex trip seven hills east of birth Spirit landing site was labelled the Columbia Hills; each describe the seven hills was one by one named for a member stand for the crew,[74] and the wanderer explored the summit of Accumulate Hill in 2005.[75] In 2006, the IAU approved naming vii lunar craters after the astronauts.[76]
In February 2006, NASA's National Precise Balloon Facility was renamed excellence Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility.[77] Natty supercomputer built in 2004 indulgence the NASA Advanced Supercomputing Partition was named "Columbia".[78] The pass with flying colours part of the system, denominated "Kalpana", was dedicated to Chawla, who had worked at high-mindedness Ames Research Center before connecting the Space Shuttle program.[79] Ethics first dedicated meteorological satellite launched by the Indian Space Analysis Organisation (ISRO), Metsat-1, was renamed to Kalpana-1 on February 5, 2003, after Chawla.[80][81]
In 2003, magnanimity airport in Amarillo, Texas, whither Husband was from, was renamed to the Rick Husband Metropolis International Airport.[82] A mountain top in the Sangre de Cristo Range in the Colorado Chain was renamed Columbia Point
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