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Message
re: The Challenger disaster was 30 years ago today
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:17 am to fishfighter
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:17 am to fishfighter
quote:
Yep, was watching it live on TV.
God speed to the crew.
Same here. I still remember the teacher trying to explain to the class what just happened.
0
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:21 am to meeple
quote:Yes, the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) were manufactured and what testing could be done on them was done by Morton Thiokol in Utah.
These would be the Orbiter SSMEs (Space Shuttle Main Engines)
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:22 am to Wally Sparks
Yesterday was the anniversary of Apollo 1 fire (1967), Monday will be the anniversary of the Columbia accident (2003).
Wild that all three of those tragedies occurred a this time of year.
Wild that all three of those tragedies occurred a this time of year.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:27 am to Schwartz
quote:
Quite possibly the worst part of it all is that there's a lot of evidence that most if not all of the crew were still alive until they hit the water.
But a good chance not conscious, so that's some peace of mind. When the orbiter broke up at altitude, the crew compartment remained intact. It continued to travel upwards, then pulled down by gravity to near terminal velocity at impact 18 miles below. When the crew compartment ripped away, they left the bulk of their oxygen supply in the payload bay. Emergency supplies would have been about 6 minutes of air.
Since all the post-crash findings have been inconclusive, we only have speculation. It seems likely that Smith tried to fly the craft after the explosion. A number of switches were moved from their launch/ascent positions - and these were lever locked and were unlikely to have been adjusted by the explosion and impact.
The PEAPs on the flight deck were activated, showing some awareness on the crew's part that something had happened and remaining air supply is consistent with them breathing that emergency air on the way down. It is even speculated that either Reznick or Onizuka attempted to activate Scobee's PEAP in an effort to save his life (while Smith was, presumably trying to fly a ship with no wings and no engine - the futile heroism is difficult to imagine without an emotional response). They might have pulled 20gs for a couple of seconds after the explosion, but it quickly dropped to a tolerable 4gs in a ballistic arc. There is some dispute on how much tumbling occurred and that could have affected their ability to remain conscious.
So - the ultimate question comes down to this - if the cabin remained pressurized, at least the crew on the flight deck were likely conscious until impact. If the cabin depressurized, the PEAP was unlikely to have kept them conscious for the entire descent. I personally believe the cabin depressurized, but it may have occurred slowly.
I hope they were unconscious (or at least experiencing hypoxic euphoria) at impact.
This post was edited on 1/28/16 at 10:34 am
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:34 am to Wally Sparks
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to spend a day in the building that the astronauts live in prior to launch. They always take a historic photo as they leave to go to the motor home that transports them to the shuttle. Anyway, the inside has untouched personal items such as family photos and letters tacked onto bulletin boards.
I also got to sit in the recliners that they sit in while they are being suited up.
It was an amazing experience. The facility has never been changed going all the way back to the Apollo launches.
These men and women are very brave people.
I also got to sit in the recliners that they sit in while they are being suited up.
It was an amazing experience. The facility has never been changed going all the way back to the Apollo launches.
These men and women are very brave people.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:36 am to Wally Sparks
Wow, I was in the 7th grade at the time. Can remember exactly where I was when some friends who were watching told us.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:38 am to Wally Sparks
Was in kindergarten and remember them making a big deal out of it at school...even attended a little ceremony I think...grandfather took me out of school in 88' to go see Discovery launch...it was the first one after the Challenger tragedy...I made the local paper.....I was in second grade..great trip.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:39 am to Wally Sparks
Today is the official Day of Remembrance for the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia at NASA.
ETA: MSFC at least.
ETA: MSFC at least.
This post was edited on 1/28/16 at 10:42 am
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:46 am to Wally Sparks
quote:
The Challenger disaster was 30 years ago toda
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:47 am to yellowhammer2098
I was at work and somebody came in and said that there was an explosion on the shuttle. Totally understated the magnitude of the disaster. We all thought well hopefully they could abort and get to one of the alternate landing sites. Then we went home for lunch and saw the video and only then did we understand how bad it was.
This post was edited on 1/28/16 at 10:48 am
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:47 am to Tigeralum2008
quote:
I lived in Florence back in 95-96. I think Ron McNair has a couple schools named after him in that area correct?
Yeah, they renamed his old high school after him (now a middle school I think) - actually schools all over the country appear the be named after him, a library in Lake City is named after him, buildings at both his college alma maters, NC A&T and MIT, a couple jazz pieces are named after him (he was a good sax player and was going to record a piece in space on the mission), and apparently they even named a crater on the Moon after him.
It reminds me of that line in that movie Deep Impact where after realizing they were going to die, the one astronaut said look on the bright side "at least they will name schools after us".
This post was edited on 1/28/16 at 10:48 am
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:47 am to yellowhammer2098
Just came in from watching the T38 flyover they did here at JSC as part of the Day of Remembrance.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:51 am to Wally Sparks
Watching Krista McAuliffe's parents was rough
Posted on 1/28/16 at 10:55 am to Wally Sparks
I remember exactly where I was when I heard...standing next to a new fangled invention called a fax machine.
RIP Brave Astronauts
RIP Brave Astronauts
Posted on 1/28/16 at 11:05 am to Ace Midnight
quote:
The PEAPs on the flight deck were activated, showing some awareness on the crew's part that something had happened and remaining air supply is consistent with them breathing that emergency air on the way down.
I want to clarify this - this is more speculation. They only confirmed 1 PEAP to a specific astronaut - Michael Smith. On the flight deck, Smith and Scobee could not activate their own PEAP (ordinarily - some kind of crazy NASA logic, I suppose) - so it has always been assumed that the 3 active PEAPS were all from the flight deck - Resnick and Onizuka were the other astronauts on the flight deck (McNair was the astronaut sitting with the payload specialists on the mid deck).
So, it is highly likely that either Onizuka or Resnick activated Smith's PEAP, it follows that their PEAPs were the other 2 activated. And that they were unable to activate Scobee's. No other speculation makes a whole lot of sense.
I don't think there is hard evidence either way about the PEAPs on the mid deck.
Smith absolutely knew something was wrong, as his is the voice that says, "Uh oh" 3 seconds after throttle up.
This post was edited on 1/28/16 at 11:06 am
Posted on 1/28/16 at 11:11 am to Wally Sparks
I asked a group of 8 foreigners today did any of them know about or remember this tragedy, 1 guy out of 9 did.
He is my age, 34.
Rest of the group was in there late 40s early 50s. All educated people.
He is my age, 34.
Rest of the group was in there late 40s early 50s. All educated people.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 11:17 am to Wally Sparks
2nd Grade. TV on the cart era.
A lot had been made of a teacher going into space.
I too remember a teacher crying.
A lot had been made of a teacher going into space.
I too remember a teacher crying.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 11:18 am to Wally Sparks
Posted on 1/28/16 at 11:19 am to Wally Sparks
Watching it live was horrifying. It took a little while to process it. Years later, I went to Arlington Cemetery and saw the memorial for the unidentified remains and it all came back with an overwhelming sadness. I think there were some identifiable body parts buried in other places in Arlington, as well.
Posted on 1/28/16 at 11:22 am to Poncho
quote:
How The Crew Died
So... they really have no clue because the impact with the water mangled any evidence they might have had.
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