STS-107 Columbia crew survival investigation report.

[TopSwiss 737]

NASA has published a report on STS-107 addressing the investigation into the loss of the space shuttle Columbia.

Very interesting, but sobering reading in this 400 page document.

The accident was found to be unsurvivable.

Rgds TS737

[indiscipline_girl]

The accident was found to be unsurvivable.

Nah, Bruce Willis would have survived it.

[puff m'call]

LOL. and some!!!!

[BOAC]

TS - a thorough report indeed. What I find incredible is, that reading 'between the lines', there was a chance that the crew might just have survived the 4 'potentially lethal events' (although probably injured), which considering the intensely hostile environment in which they were is amazing. I deduce that a serious review of equipment and procedures would be a good idea!

I have not had time to read it thoroughly, but was there any indication that the crew should have been (and were not) warned to expect possible loss of structural integrity due to the known damage at launch? If they had been, might they all have been seated, visors down and seat harnesses locked when it all began and they depressurised? The design parameters for the 'survival suit' are quite amazing.

[G SXTY]

According to the report, the foam strike was known about and advised to the crew by mission control, but they were told it posed no risk to the orbiter.

Only fragments of the pressure suits were recovered, which would suggest the 'catastrohic event' was at an altitude and speed outside the suits' design parameters.

If there's one crumb of comfort, it's that the depressurisation was apparently so rapid that the crew didn't even have time to lower their visors - i.e. it was all over in a matter of seconds.

[206Fan]

According to the report, the foam strike was known about and advised to the crew by mission control, but they were told it posed no risk to the orbiter.

Was watching the documentary on this a few nights ago!

According to nasa foam falling of the external tank on launch is normal so they didn't see it as any majour risk to the shuttle.

[norodnik]

Yes, I saw it too.

Flight was worried about it from the time of the incident but did nothing. The safety board were so lax they hardly even discussed it.

So many failures it's hard to know where to point the finger suffice to say things apparently are now much better.

Only interesting point for me is the fact that if they had known about it and left them up there to await rescue is whether NASA could have pulled off another remarkable save. If not, as NASA also said, they were better off dying as they did then either dying slowly in orbit or attempting a re-entry knowing they stood almost no chance of living.

[Brian Abraham]

reading 'between the lines', there was a chance that the crew might just have survived

Afraid not BOAC. Their suits, boots, helmets etc were torn from their bodies and shredded. Portions of their boot soles were found to have been subjected to extreme temperatures also. Much of the medical evidence is redacted, but from my reading the suggestion is the bodies were highly fragmented and it was necessary to use DNA to "match" the pieces. A sad event as the loss of life always is, but by the sacrifice of such people who are not afraid to accept the risks is what brings about advances.

[BOAC]

Yes, on a more thorough reading I can see the event was well outside the survival parameters. The suit was still impressive, though at 100,000ft and 560kts EAS! Interesting to note the comparison with the SR71 suit performance, and I see the suit failure may have been aggravated by the open visors (3-46).

I was pleased to see that the crew received worthy praise for their attempts to diagnose the unknown events before the CE.

[ehwatezedoing]

There is a very good summary of the report here.
Spaceflight Now | STS-107 Mission Report | NASA releases post-Columbia crew survival study

Worthy praise for the crew indeed...

[GlueBall]

norodnik . . .

Only interesting point for me is the fact that if they had known about it and left them up there to await rescue is whether NASA could have pulled off another remarkable save. If not, as NASA also said, they were better off dying as they did then either dying slowly in orbit or attempting a re-entry knowing they stood almost no chance of living.

It had been said in news reports that an improvised transfer to the International Space Station would have been possible for the short term.

[Brian Abraham]

improvised transfer to the International Space Station would have been possible

Again, not possible. The Columbia orbit was inclined at 39° whereas the ISS was in a 51.6° orbit, and they had no means by which to change the orbit sufficiently. The OMS and RCS engines had the capability to provide a velocity change of about 1,400 km/h whereas to change orbit they needed 7,000 km/h.