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Space Shuttle Columbia Disaster NASA Report Released

by Tina Kells | December 30, 2008 at 03:37 pm

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It happened nearly 7 years ago but today NASA released a detailed report into the 2003 space shuttle Columbia disaster.

On February 1, 2003 the space shuttle Columbia exploded only 16 minutes before touchdown, shocking the world and bringing back memories of the post-liftoff explosion of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986.

The 1986 Challenger disaster was the first time a civilian was included on a space shuttle flight. Elementary school teacher Christa McAuliffe, the first member of the Teacher in Space Project was among the victims of that doomed mission and was the reason for the intense media coverage of the takeoff, which was starting to be viewed as routine by that time. The incident was caught on live TV as McAuliffe's entire class watched.

The 2003 Columbia disaster was not watched as intently by media as it was the 28th mission for the space craft, but it was no less historic. Columbia was the first spaceworthy craft in the NASA fleet. It's initial mission lasted just 2 days,; from April 12-14, 1981. Seven crew members died that day.

Today, NASA released its findings about the Columbia disaster.

Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report

Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Report (PDF)

Commander Rick Husband did attempt to save Columbia but it was a futile effort. Given the speed the crew cabin broke up it was impractical to expect the commander or pilot to take control of a vehicle that was literally falling apart around them.
Columbia's astronauts died Feb. 1, 2003, when the shuttle broke up on re-entry. An investigating commission later determined that chunks of insulation shed from the tank during takeoff damaged Columbia's left wing, triggering the accident.

Killed were Air Force Col. Rick Husband, 45, mission commander; Navy Cmdr. William C. McCool, 41, who was the shuttle pilot; mission specialists Kalpana Chawla, 41; Navy Capt. David M. Brown, 46; Navy Cmdr. Laurel Clark, 41; and payload specialists Air Force Lt. Col. Michael P. Anderson, 43; and Israeli Air Force Col. Ilan Ramon, 48, Israel's first astronaut.

Why issue this report so many years after the Columbia accident? It will help spacecraft designers who are working on the next generation Orion spacecraft design a vehicle that is safer and will include escape options for a crew.