The space shuttle that fell to earth

I never caught the program but I remember when it happened As tragic as it was the real sad point for me was the teacher who was just going to teach kids from space.

I remember her interview weeks before the flight saying I’m no astronaut I’m just a teacher who just wants to show kids the wonder of space.
 
Jedi boro said:
I never caught the program but I remember when it happened As tragic as it was the real sad point for me was the teacher who was just going to teach kids from space.

I remember her interview weeks before the flight saying I’m no astronaut I’m just a teacher who just wants to show kids the wonder of space.
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Its on iPlayer if you or anyone want to watch it
 
TeessideCleveland said:
Anybody else watched it?

Quite moving watching them getting ready - then taking off ok - knowing what would happen


It's a shame they didn't realise how fatal the take off damage was, or they could hopefully have been rescued rather than risk re-entry
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I've recorded the first of the three episodes so far. I like to binge on the whole set once I've got them all. From what I remember from previous programmes, the best advice was not to launch. Unfortunately pressure was put upon the decision makers to launch.
 
Lady Felicia said:
I've recorded the first of the three episodes so far. I like to binge on the whole set once I've got them all. From what I remember from previous programmes, the best advice was not to launch. Unfortunately pressure was put upon the decision makers to launch.
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There is also a clip of Challenger. Apparently that was launched under pressure, and some experts actually said they were surprised it even cleared the tower
All I can say is episode 1 makes it seem like it will be a very good - if sad - 3 part documentary
 
A devastating incident and one that could have easily been prevented if the NASA culture at the time was different.
 
Jedi boro said:
I never caught the program but I remember when it happened As tragic as it was the real sad point for me was the teacher who was just going to teach kids from space.

I remember her interview weeks before the flight saying I’m no astronaut I’m just a teacher who just wants to show kids the wonder of space.
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That was the other one, the Challenger, which exploded just after take off when a solid rocket booster seal failed. The programme is about the Columbia which broke up on re entry as a result of heat shield damage. Both equally tragic of course.
 
Uncle_Marbles said:
Just watched it. Sadly could have been avoided, and plans put in place to rectify the problem, possibly in flight or on re entry.
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Big chance missed before Columbia even went. Once that foam damaged the booster, it should have led to a full review of what it could do to the orbiter.
 
Nero said:
Big chance missed before Columbia even went. Once that foam damaged the booster, it should have led to a full review of what it could do to the orbiter.
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As a last resort could they have sent one of the other 4 shuttles (Enterprise/Discovery/Atlantis/ Endeavour) to rescue the crew?

I suppose that would then mean a decision had to be made what to do with Columbia (repair it while in orbit?) - as having previously lost Challenger no doubt finances would be a factor
 
TeessideCleveland said:
As a last resort could they have sent one of the other 4 shuttles (Enterprise/Discovery/Atlantis/ Endeavour) to rescue the crew?

I suppose that would then mean a decision had to be made what to do with Columbia (repair it while in orbit?) - as having previously lost Challenger no doubt finances would be a factor
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Probably not. Launches were planned months in advanced and needed crew training. NASA don’t have an emergency rescue team for space sadly.

Columbia shouldn’t have even went. Once it became known foam dropping during take off could damage a solid booster, that should resulted in testing that the accident investigation team performed. That would have shown a big piece of foam will critically damage the heat shield leading to disaster on re-entry. Easy to say in hindsight of course, as the culture at NASA wouldn’t have allowed that to happen at that time.
 
Nero said:
Columbia shouldn’t have even went. Once it became known foam dropping during take off could damage a solid booster, that should resulted in testing that the accident investigation team performed. That would have shown a big piece of foam will critically damage the heat shield leading to disaster on re-entry. Easy to say in hindsight of course, as the culture at NASA wouldn’t have allowed that to happen at that time.
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I couldn’t believe they just shrugged off a big dent in the booster and went ahead anyway. The ignorance and stubbornness was staggering. Very American with their chains of command etc.

Very clever people but a little bit dim is how they came across to me. No wonder half the country gets suckered in by the likes of Trump!
 
MolteniArcore said:
I couldn’t believe they just shrugged off a big dent in the booster and went ahead anyway. The ignorance and stubbornness was staggering. Very American with their chains of command etc.

Very clever people but a little bit dim is how they came across to me. No wonder half the country gets suckered in by the likes of Trump!
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Yes it was very damning. I understand the dismissal of small pieces of foam in previous flights, but the flight immediately before Columbia showed what a big piece of foam could do.

It’s amazing the Engineers didn’t seem to realise that energy from a dropped object can be significant if falling a long distance. The fuel tanks were huge, so any object falling from near the top, toward the wings of the orbiter had the potential for significant damage.
 
2 episodes in, canny brutal viewing if I’m honest.

Feel for the young lad on there who lost his mam, poor lad - as you would expect is broken but you also pick up on some resentment towards the fact she even went up there.

Interviewer is asking some probing questions rightfully so which are seemingly rubbing some of the yanks up the wrong way.
 
I watched a documentary at the space centre about when they fixed the Hubble. They had another shuttle and crew on standby in case the 1st one had a similar problem to Columbia.

Not much could have been done about Columbia I suppose, at the time I wondered why they didn't dock with the ISS and leave it up there but I reckon smarter people than me knew that wasn't an option for whatever reason, likely relative positions, velocities and orbits and fuel requirements etc
 
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