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Number 11: 27 previous missions
The Space Shuttle Columbia was the US’s first reusable spacecraft and had completed
27 successful missions before disaster struck.
Its inaugural launch was back in 1981, on the 20th anniversary of the first manned space
flight.
This was a happy coincidence: its original launching date was postponed due to software
issues.
The Columbia was in orbit for 8 whole months during that flight!
And it circled earth 37 times before landing safely.
A small fire ruined an otherwise perfect day, though no astronauts were injured during this
incident.
The Columbia was repaired and reutilised multiple times, with no major incidents reported.
Nothing hinted towards the disaster that was to come.
Number 10: The origins of its name
The Space Shuttle Columbia received its name from a small ship that had explored the Columbia
River almost 200 years before.
It was not the first vessel to be christened this way.
One of the first US ships to travel across the globe was also named Columbia.
Even the Apollo 11 had a module named after the ship, so it seems it was a rather popular
source of inspiration within the army, navy, and airforce.
Robert Grey was the original boat’s captain, and he would probably be surprised by the
waves his small shuttle made across US history.
Before we continue, answer this quiz question: a space shuttle's Thermal Protection Layer
(or heat shield) is constructed essentially of what material?
a.
Sand b.
Fiberglass c.
Aluminum d.
Granite Let us know what you think in the comments
section below & stay tuned to find out the right answer.
Number 9: The Columbia inspired a song
The shuttle’s first mission inspired the release of a song back in 1982.
The band Rush was inspired by the astronauts who manned the flight and would go on to pen
the song ‘Countdown’.
It’s no wonder the bandmembers were fascinated by the shuttle, as they witnessed its inaugural
launch from a closeby VIP area.
They even added audio bits containing communications between ground control and the astronauts
on board of the Columbia.
The song was so popular at NASA that it was even used as a wakeup alarm for the same shuttle’s
crew during its last successful mission.
It was not reutilised during its last flight, so the 7 last astronauts to set foot on the
Columbia did not get to listen to this track while in space.
Number 8: The STS-107 mission
Columbia’s last mission was dubbed the STS-107, and was meant to be a research expedition.
Several scientific experiments took place during its space journey, lasting 16 whole
days.
Most missions at that time were sent into space to finish constructing the International
Space Station, but Columbia’s focus was purely scientifical.
Divided into two shifts, the crew conducted experiments 24/7, managing to complete over
80 tests which included fluid physics and material sciences.
Number 7: The crew
During its last mission, seven astronauts were selected as the Columbia’s crew.
The shuttle’s commander was Rick Husband, a Colonel who had over 3800 hours of flight
in more than 40 different aircrafts.
He was 45 at the time of the accident and was survived by Evelyn, his wife, and two
young children.
Willie McCool was the Columbia’s pilot.
This was his very first shuttle mission.
He was born in 1961 and had three small children, as well as a wife named Atilana.
Michael Anderson was 43, a Lieutenant Colonel who had 211 hours in space before this mission.
He had a wife and two children and was the shuttle’s payload commander.
There were three mission specialists on board: David Brown, who became an astronaut in 1996;
Kalpana Chawla, who would become the first Indian native to board a US shuttle, and one
of the only two women in the crew; and Laurel Clark, a medical doctor who joined NASA in
1996.
Kalpana was survived by her husband, while Laurel left both her spouse and a young child
behind.
Both were 41 when they died.
Ilan Ramon, was an Israeli astronaut, and just as Kalpana was the first person from
his country to pilot a US shuttle.
He left behind four children as well as his wife, Rona.
Number 6: The problems started as early as the shuttle’s launch
Apparently, during the Columbia’s last launch, a piece of foam fell from a ramp attached
to the shuttle during takeoff.
There’s video evidence that this piece of debris hit the shuttle’s left wing hard
enough to leave, at least, a dent.
NASA didn’t take immediate action, and it would end up having disastrous consequences.
Several specialists insisted pictures be taken to investigate the potential risks this accident
could bring.
The department of defense even offered its own orbital cameras to get a proper look at
the issue, but officials rejected this possibility.
Perhaps an investigation on the matter might have saved the crew from its gruesome ending,
but the problem was disregarded and swept under the rug.
Number 5: Reentry into Earth’s atmosphere
This is when disaster struck.
Everything seemed normal at first, but as the reentry came to an end, NASA lost contact
with the crew somewhere over Texas.
Husband, Columbia’s commander, replied to the call, but only managed to say “Roger”
communications were abruptly interrupted.
The Columbia was aimlessly falling at 18 times the speed of sound at that time, 200700 feet
away from the Earth’s surface.
No one would answer Mission Control’s calls from that moment on.
Within the following 12 minutes, the shuttle was supposed to land at the runway, but instead,
a mission controller received a phonecall: The news stations were emitting a video of
the Columbia exploding high in the sky.
Search and rescue teams were sent to different spots around Texas where debris could have
landed, and soon the astronauts were reported missing.
Number 4: The Search and recovery mission
Though at first it was attempted to rescue the possibly surviving crew members, it soon
became evident that the incident had been far worse than expected.
There were no survivors, and the task shifted to collecting debris and the astronaut’s
remains.
Only 40% of the shuttle was retrieved, and NASA was able to identify the crew through
DNA testing.
It’s thought the crew survived the initial moments of the incident but would have lost
consciousness soon after due to the cabin losing its pressure.
The disintegration of the Columbia would ultimately lead to the astronaut’s deaths within minutes
of reentering earth.
In 2011, a drought allowed further debris to be discovered in Texas, 8 years after the
initial incident.
It seems there might still be more pieces from the Columbia to be found around the Texas
and Louisiana territory.
So what material is a space shuttle's Thermal Protection Layer essentially constructed of?
If you guessed A, you're right!
The Thermal Protection Layer is comprised of 30,000 tiles of what is essentially sand.
The material allows shuttles to endure extremely intense heat when re-entering the Earth's
atmosphere, with temperatures reaching roughly 3,000 degree Fahrenheit (or 1,650 degrees
Celcius).
Amazingly, after heating to its peak temperatures, the material cools down so fast that you can
hold it in your hand just a minute later!
Number 3: The investigation
A board of experts was set up for the sole objective of investigating the incident.
The piece of foam which was noticed striking the shuttle was determined to be the most
likely culprit.
Apparently, it had created a hole in its left wing, and this had allowed gases to enter
the spacecraft during reentry.
This caused the shuttle to be destroyed just 16 minutes before it was supposed to land.
The board highly criticized NASA officials for disregarding the initial accident as irrelevant
and noticed several safety issues had been ignored over the years.
It seems it was sheer luck that prevented other shuttles from suffering the same fate
the Columbia’s crew endured.
Number 2: Safety concerns
Though it was ruled that the incident was not survivable, there were other safety concerns
the investigative board refused to ignore.
Apparently the way the seats were designed lowered the astronauts’ chances of survival.
This happened because the restraints failed to lock.
Their helmets weren’t adequate to sustain this level of trauma either.
Worse still, the parachutes in their pressure suits have to be manually activated.
During an incident, astronauts might be unable to fulfill this task, especially if they fall
unconscious.
The board recommended several changes, like automatic parachute deployment, to improve
the chance of survival during a crash landing.
Number 1: Its Legacy
The Columbia’s crew will not be easily forgotten.
Each year a public tribute is conducted during NASA’s day of remembrance.
This day is set between the last week of January or the first of February.
The reason is not exactly uplifting.
In a somewhat dark coincidence, both the Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia incidents all occurred
during this same two-week period in different years.
A handful of the experiments the astronauts were conducting survived, though its a small
comfort compared to the magnitude of the tragedy.
When the rover Spirit landed on Mars, NASA named its landing site the Columbia Memorial
Station, in memory of those lost during that dark day.
Seven asteroids circling the sun and discovered after 2003 were named after the Columbia’s
crew.
Thanks for watching!
Would you rather live in space or live in Atlantis, and why?
Let us know in the comments section below.