A new report issued by NASA just before the New Year reveals that the Columbia astronauts died from either a depressurization of the main cabin or a lethal trauma caused by being tossed around the cabin during Columbia's chaotic descent and break-up nearly 7 years ago. The report really just confirms the obvious, and seems to have been released mainly for public relations purposes ahead of the new Orion space capsule. NASA seems focused on letting the public know that lessons have been learned from the Columbia disaster, and that future vehicles will be safer.A piece of "environmentally friendly" foam breaking off the external fuel tank and striking the leading edge of the shuttle's left wing is the suspected cause of the destruction of Columbia during re-entry.
Still not officially addressed or explained is the mysterious purple streak photographed by an anonymous astronomer (or astronomy buff) as the spacecraft re-entered over California.
Here is a video reconstruction of the final minutes of Columbia's descent:
Towards the very end of the video there was a white light that moved forward a bit faster then slowed than the rest of debris. could have been the way the pieces broke up.
ReplyDeleteBut yes...there is no explanation of the purple streak, nor do I see it on the video.
In the end I still think it was NASA's hubris about the falling ice and it's danger to the tiles.
I would bet that NOBODY tested the tile strength by shooting chunks of ice at them to see if the would crack along a simultated wing. Even though they NEW ice chunks falling ONTO the orbiter WAS a recurring issue.
As usual NASA had it's collective OWL'S head up it's ass.
Bob...:D
Re the zig-zagger, try http://www.jamesoberg.com/columbiazig-zag.pdf
ReplyDeleteI concur with Robert's intended message: "I would bet that NOBODY tested the tile strength by shooting chunks of ice at them to see if the would crack along a simultated wing. Even though they NEW ice chunks falling ONTO the orbiter WAS a recurring issue."
In fact, that's sort of what the CAIB pointed out -- nobody had tested foam (not ice) against RCC panel (not tile) protective layers at launch-like velocities -- they had 'assumed' it was 'hard enough'.
The sad part, it WASN'T usual -- it was a betrayel of sound safety attitudes that had in the past brought ships safely home again and again and again. In this case, some people made bad decisions and others didn't howl to the heavens. I'd walked out a few years earlier for testifying to Congress about the rotting safety culture -- and made fuss after fuss that couldn't change anything.