February 1, 2023 marked the twentieth anniversary of the tragic lack of STS-107 House Shuttle Columbia and her crew of seven courageous astronauts.
STS-1, with Gemini 3 & 10 and Apollo 10 & 16 veteran John Younger and Robert Crippen first lifted off from Launch Pad 39A on April 12, 1981 at 7:00:03 a.m. EST…
If the election of Ronald Reagan hadn’t already ended the 1970’s “malaise,” the launch and secure return of Columbia absolutely did.
Throughout her almost 22 years of service, Columbia accomplished 27 STS missions previous to her tragic loss on Feb. 1, 2003.
Jan 26, 2023
20 Years In the past: Remembering Columbia and Her Crew
The yr 2003 was shaping as much as be an bold one for NASA, with six area shuttle missions deliberate, 5 to proceed development of the ever-growing and completely occupied Worldwide House Station. The primary flight of the yr, STS-107 aboard NASA’s oldest orbiter Columbia, the primary shuttle mission devoted to microgravity analysis in almost 5 years, wouldn’t journey to the area station however fly a 16-day solo mission. The seven-member crew would conduct most of the 80 deliberate U.S. and worldwide experiments aboard a Spacehab Double Analysis Module in Columbia’s payload bay. The astronauts’ exceeded scientists’ expectations by way of the science obtained throughout their 16 days in area. Tragically, the astronauts perished when Columbia broke aside throughout reentry on Feb. 1, 2003.
NASA first introduced the STS-107 microgravity analysis mission, assigned to area shuttle Columbia, in March 1998, with a then-planned launch in Could 2000, a date that started to slide nearly instantly. In September 2000, NASA named the five-member science crew of Payload Commander Michael P. Anderson, Mission Specialists David M. Brown, Kalpana Chawla, and Laurel B. Clark, and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of the Israeli House Company, including Commander Rick D. Husband and Pilot William C. “Willie” McCool three months later. Ramon’s participation grew out of a 1995 settlement between U.S. President Invoice Clinton and Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres on area cooperation between the 2 nations. When assigned to the flight, the crew skilled for an August 2001 launch, however numerous elements corresponding to delays in Columbia’s refurbishment, technical points affecting the area shuttle fleet, and competing priorities with a Hubble House Telescope servicing mission and Worldwide House Station meeting flights brought about that date to slide to January 2003.
The STS-107 mission included a complete of 80 experiments in a wide range of analysis disciplines and carried out in numerous components of the area shuttle. The astronauts labored immediately with 32 payloads together with 59 investigations within the Spacehab Analysis Double Module. These included 9 business payloads involving 21 separate investigations, 4 payloads for the European House Company with 14 investigations, one investigation to mitigate threat for the Worldwide House Station, and 18 payloads supporting 23 investigations for NASA within the fields of bodily and organic sciences. Many of those experiments had utility for future research aboard the area station, prompting STS-107 Mission Scientist John B. Charles to check with the mission’s analysis as doing “simulated area station science, though the science itself stands by itself proper.” The Canadian House Company, the German House Company, the U.S. Air Drive, and several other universities additionally flew experiments within the Spacehab. Three experiments requiring publicity to open area flew connected to the highest of the Spacehab module, whereas the Hitchhiker truss within the payload bay housed six experiments, together with an Israeli investigation Saharan mud distribution within the Mediterranean area utilizing a multi-spectral digicam.
House shuttle Columbia started its 28th mission with a spectacular liftoff from Launch Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy House Heart (KSC) in Florida, at 10:39 am EST on Jan. 16, 2003. The launch appeared to go effectively and after eight and a half minutes, Columbia reached its deliberate orbit to start the 16-day microgravity analysis mission. Starting on their very first day in area, the seven-member crew cut up into two groups – Husband, Chawla, Clark, and Ramon made up the Crimson Group whereas McCool, Anderson, and Brown made up the Blue Group. Throughout the mission, the groups labored reverse shifts, permitting for 16 days of steady analysis operations. Brown busied himself with opening Columbia’s payload bay doorways, whereas Anderson, Clark, and Ramon reconfigured the orbiter from a rocket to a spacecraft to help analysis, together with activating the Spacehab analysis module. The Blue Group took the primary sleep shift whereas the Crimson Group started to activate a number of the experiments. For the following 15 days, Columbia’s crew labored tirelessly to finish the experiments, overcoming technical points. Scientists on the bottom have been overjoyed at their efficiency and amazed on the better than anticipated science return from the mission.
Throughout routine evaluation of launch movies, engineers famous that at about 82 seconds into the flight, a bit of froth insulation launched from the Shuttle’s Exterior Tank (ET) appeared to strike Columbia’s left wing. On Jan. 23, the mission’s eighth day, Flight Director J. Steve Stich from Mission Management notified Husband and McCool of the froth strike through an electronic mail, together with a video clip of the impression, however assured them that as a result of the phenomenon had occurred on earlier missions, it brought about no concern for harm to the automobile or for reentry. Husband knowledgeable the remainder of the crew. Nevertheless, engineers on the bottom continued to evaluate the impression of the froth strike, requesting high-resolution imaging of the affected space to finish a extra thorough evaluation, however finally managers turned down the request. On Jan. 27, the STS-107 crew chatted through radio with the three Expedition 6 crew members aboard the Worldwide House Station, within the third month of their deliberate 5 month mission.
On Jan. 28, Columbia’s crew members paid tribute to their fellow astronauts misplaced within the Challenger accident 17 years earlier and within the Apollo 1 launch pad hearth on Jan. 27, 1967. Husband stated, “It’s right this moment that we keep in mind and honor the crews of Apollo 1 and Challenger. They made the last word sacrifice: giving their lives in service to their nation and for all mankind. Their dedication and devotion to the exploration of area was an inspiration to every of us, and nonetheless motivates folks around the globe to attain nice issues in service to others.”
The astronauts accomplished the final science classes on Jan. 31 whereas Husband and McCool used a simulator to follow the entry and touchdown procedures and examined Columbia’s programs required for the return to Earth. The subsequent morning, they closed the hatches to the Spacehab module, then closed the payload bay doorways, with the entry group led by Flight Director Leroy E. Cain monitoring their actions from Mission Management. The astronauts donned their orange launch and entry fits and took their seats, with Husband, McCool, Chawla, and Clark on the flight deck and Brown, Anderson, and Ramon within the middeck. Husband and McCool oriented Columbia with its Orbital Maneuvering System engines pointing within the route of flight, and after receiving the go for the deorbit burn from capsule communicator NASA astronaut Charles O. “Scorch” Hobaugh, fired the engines for 2 minutes and 38 seconds over the Indian Ocean. They reoriented Columbia with its nostril dealing with ahead and angled up at 40 levels to face the warmth of reentry, encountering the Earth’s ambiance at 400,000 ft. To assist sluggish the automobile down, it flew a collection of maneuvers to bleed off vitality. Fifteen minutes after entry interface, flying over Texas at an altitude of 207,000 ft and 16 minutes from touchdown at KSC, Mission Management misplaced contact with Columbia and her crew.
Sixteen Minutes from Residence
A Private Remembrance
So far as Saturday mornings go, this one begins off fairly peculiar. My seven-year-old daughter Alex and I are at dwelling; my spouse Susan is at church for a gathering. Alex could disagree about peculiar, since as an alternative of her common cartoons or Disney movies, I’ve the household room TV tuned to the NASA channel to look at the area shuttle land in Florida this morning. Together with the launches which are much more spectacular, I make it a behavior to look at these occasions reside – as on today, associates and colleagues are generally on board.
As we decide on the sofa, the aroma of bacon and French toast lingers, proof of the bribe to maintain Alex’s complaining to a minimal. However I nonetheless get just a few “Why do we have now to look at this, it’s so boring!” and “Is it over but?” sprinkled with the same old chatter of a seven-year-old as she reads her e-book. A welcome distraction from the NASA public affairs official saying every passing milestone of the reentry. The newspaper rustles as I fold it up, I’ve completed studying the funnies, and I flip my consideration to the TV because the time attracts close to. Landing is 16 minutes away.
Columbia’s crew was returning that morning from a 16-day science mission that had gone exceedingly effectively. In Mission Management, the scientists beamed on the outcomes of the experiments, excited of their nerdy scientist approach. The astronauts, assured as all the time, cavorting in weightlessness, making all of it appear really easy. They thanked all of the individuals who helped them put together for the flight and appeared ahead to being dwelling and sharing their journey with everybody. 4 days in the past, they honored their fallen comrades, fellow astronauts misplaced within the Apollo hearth and the Challenger accident, with a second of silence.
Certain, there was discuss of one thing that hit the wing throughout liftoff 16 days in the past, however that was nothing to fret about, proper? That occurs on a regular basis, and it all the time seems okay, proper? If it was critical, somebody could be doing one thing about it. Proper?? After all! And in addition to, just some days in the past, Mission Management assured the astronauts there was “completely no concern for reentry.”
“Fourteen minutes to landing for Columbia,” says the general public affairs announcer, breaking the silence. “Flight controllers persevering with to standby to regain communications with the spacecraft.”
“Columbia, Houston. Comm test,” the capcom, or capsule communicator, calls to the crew, awaiting a response to the communications test. Silence. He tries once more. Silence.
The primary wispy tendrils of concern start to tighten my insides. One thing doesn’t really feel proper. They’ve been silent for greater than two minutes. The standard communications blackout ended some time again. I now lengthy for the same old boring technical chatter.
“Twelve and a half minutes to landing,” says the general public affairs announcer.
“Columbia, Houston. Comm test.
“Columbia, Houston. Comm test.”
“Flight controllers are standing by for Columbia to maneuver inside vary of the monitoring station in Florida,” says public affairs. “And likewise ready for monitoring information from Florida.
“Ten and a half minutes to anticipated landing for Columbia.” The crescendo of concern is joined by confusion and a determined must know what’s occurring, as extra calls go unanswered.
“Eight minutes on the landing clock for Columbia.” Nonetheless no response from the crew.
“Six minutes to landing.” Ten minutes and not using a response, and extra worrisome, radars in Florida see nothing the place the shuttle must be. Mission Management declares a “contingency,” NASA-speak for “one thing’s gone severely fallacious.” They lock the doorways, protect all the info for the investigation to come back. My insides are in a full-blown churn.
The countdown clock to landing reaches zero. They need to have landed by now, saying their arrival by the acquainted double sonic increase. Looking out the skies, looking in useless. Keen them to seem out of skinny air into the empty silent Florida skies. However they’re late. They will’t be late. This isn’t proper. I consider the households left ready, questioning.
I flip to Alex, her chatter stops in mid-sentence. “Alex, that is very critical, we have to concentrate,” I say. “One thing actually unhealthy has occurred. I feel my associates are in hassle, they might have died. I must hear, OK?” She nods, her eyes huge as saucers.
Pissed off with the lack of understanding on NASA TV, I swap to CNN and am inundated. My breath stops after they present the video from Dallas – one streak spreading into many, Columbia breaking apart 200,000 ft over Texas. My mind toys with the concept that possibly they bailed out, however actuality sinks in, I do know they have been too excessive for that. The grip of concern releases, unleashing a wave of tears, mercifully blurring the countless replays of that terrible video.
I would like to achieve out, to name somebody, to share the grief. Susan doesn’t reply. After all, in a gathering, telephone turned off. I attempt once more anyway. Voice mail. I name coworkers. We share our emotions, one thing we don’t usually do. We ponder what to do, understand there’s nothing. One I attain on the airport on his option to Japan – he hadn’t heard so I break the information to him. Then I really feel unhealthy about that. He’ll spend the following 14 hours in an airplane with no hope of updates. The remainder of the day is a fog of swirling feelings, as I sit glued to the TV for information, unable to show away.
Alex later instructed me that was the primary time she’d ever seen me cry.
[…]
I personally heard the explosion (may not be the best phrase) in Dallas that Saturday morning, however didn’t know what it was till an hour or so later. The “bang” brought about automobile alarms to go off and made swinging doorways pop open.
The audacious rescue plan which may have saved area shuttle Columbia
The untold story of the rescue mission that might have been NASA’s most interesting hour.
LEE HUTCHINSON – 2/1/2023
February 1, 2023: One of the tragic occasions within the historical past of area exploration is the lack of the area shuttle Columbia and all seven of her crew on February 1, 2003—a tragedy made worse as a result of it didn’t need to occur. However simply as it’s human nature to look to the long run and marvel what could be, so too is it in our nature to have a look at the previous and marvel, “what if?” Right this moment, on the 20th anniversary of the occasion, Ars is re-publishing our detailed 2014 examination of the largest Columbia “what if” of all: what if NASA had acknowledged the harm to the orbiter whereas the mission was nonetheless in progress? May something have been completed to avoid wasting the crew?
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